


My bloody Mary

by SakuraSakura



Series: Through the eye of the corpse [2]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Blood and Violence, Crime Scenes, Graphic Description of Corpses, M/M, Murder, Police, Thriller, Torture, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-31
Updated: 2019-05-27
Packaged: 2019-07-03 20:58:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 46,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15826800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SakuraSakura/pseuds/SakuraSakura
Summary: This is the how everything started. They lived a pretty normal life, but everything changed in an instant. They found themeselves in an horrible series of events, leading them to completely change their lives.





	1. Their past: Hanamiya Makoto

**Author's Note:**

> For this story I read books about criminal profiling and researched about nursery rhymes and their meanings. I also tried to picture the characters' problems and shock, I hope I made at least a decent job.
> 
> This story is a sequel to After the dark, but it can be read atthe same time

Chapter 1

 

**THEIR PAST: HANAMIYA MAKOTO**

  

He was at the door, having just rang the doorbell, and Kuroko-san opened it.

“Yes?” The woman asked.

“Excuse me, I am Tetsuya's friend, is he in?” He asked.

“Oh my, he's still out. He's always with his tall friend lately, you know Kagami-kun.” She said.

“I know, his red head is scary.” He joked.

“Yes, but he's so kind.” The woman was pleased. She was fond of the boy, it was obvious to see. “Would you like to enter and wait for him? I'll call him.”  
“Yes, thanks, but it's not necessary to call him, he knew I was coming.”

“Then, come in, he will be here in no time, I'm sure.”

He entered the house. It was a plainly normal one, nothing special, a typical normal Japanese house. The woman had blue hair and brown eyes, not very tall, fair skin, she was petite and somehow cute. She must have been a gentle and kind mother. 

He thought that was evident that part of Kuroko's cuteness and features were hers. All the more reason to be annoyed by her presence.

They entered a small living room, with a square table.

“I'll make some tea.” The woman went in the kitchen.

“You're alone, Kuroko-san?”

“My husband will be here in 10 minutes, more or less, he called before. He's always busy with his job, he can't help it.” She said returning with the tea pot and two cups. “We always leave Tetsuya alone.” Her sadness could be easily seen on her face.

“You have to work, I'm sure he understand.” His fake smile was always effective with people their age, and this time was no exception.

“Eh, he's a really good boy.” She agreed. “I'm glad he has good friends.”

He started to be impatient. He was really clever, but never been the patient type.

After some time the father arrived at home and they entertained a conversation.

He, however, was annoyed, but couldn't be discovered yet. His fingers were itching, they wanted action.  _Not yet_ . He said to them in his mind.  _Not yet_ .  _Just wait a little bit_ .

“So you're Tetsuya's friend? How did you two meet? You're not from his school I assume.”

“Basketball. Seirin beat us. Two times in two years.” And the switch was pressed. They would suffer. They would suffer so much, and he would be there to see everything. He would be the one to laugh in the end. His smile widened. They would pay. Every one of them.

Hanamiya stood up, a smile on his face. He approached the man, still sat at the chair in front of him, and talked in his ears. “Ya know, I was kidding before, I'm not really your son's friend. I really, really hate him.” And in the same instant Kuroko's father's eyes went wide for the shock he cut his throat with his knife. Warm blood started to spill from the cut, a lot of red, warm, beautiful blood.

The woman, who was coming back from the kitchen with some sweets, was petrified for an instant, then she dropped the trail and started to scream and cry.

She was so annoying. “Tch!”

She tried to escape but he was an athlete, while the woman was little and frail, she could never escape from him.

While the man was left on the ground, with all his blood draining from his body and spilling everywhere on the floor, the boy hit the woman on her back while she was trying to escape and she fell on her knees.

“What are you... Why??!”

He was smiling, and now he was in front of her, looking at her eyes  full  of fear and her face wet from her tears. “He has to suffer. They all will suffer. I don't like to lose. But I like red things ya know.” He stabbed her in the stomach and she shouted and tried to escape,  uselessly trying t o stop him.

“You're really annoying. Just shut up!” The woman shouted again and he hit her again. “Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!”

He hit again, and again, and again until she stopped moving and shouting and cry. At that point there was blood everywhere in the room. But he was not satisfied yet.

He observed his work. The corpse  of the man was on the ground in a pool of blood. The woman was some meters behind, the blood splashed here and there, some ended up on the couch, some on the table and chairs, some on the walls. 

He used some blood to paint on the walls with his fingers wrapped in a latex glove (he wasn't stupid, he would not leave his fingerprints there), being careful to write everything perfectly.

And yes, he was clever, his IQ was higher than most of people he knew, so after his paintings, he wrote this nursery rhyme in English and clean the scene of his other fingerprints. 

The red head would know the meaning of this one. So he started to write, with his fingers stained with blood.

 

 __Mary Mary quite contrary,  
How does your garden grow?  
With silver bells and cockle shells  
And pretty maids all in a row

 

 _Mistress Mary, Quite contrary,_  
How does your garden grow?  
With Silver Bells, And Cockle Shells,  
And so my garden grows. 

_Mary, Mary quite contrary,_

_How does your garden grow,_

_With silver bells and cockle shells_

_And pretty maids all in a row._

 

_Mary, Mary quite contrary,_

_Mistress Mary, quite contrary,_  
How does your garden grow?  
With Silver Bells, And Cockle Shells,  
And so my garden grows.

 

Yes, that was good, he was thinking, admiring his work. For that cute black haired guy he used another one, but this... this was a masterpiece.

Yeah, that cute guy was clueless either. He approached him saying he wanted help apologizing to Kagami. He said he was changed and wanted to talk to the red head, but didn't knew how to do it since the boy was avoiding him.

That boy was naive, really stupid. He let his guard down. And payed for it. It was too simple to kill him. And it happened slowly. The boy tried to fight but it was useless. He drugged him, so he was unable to move his body, but he was still conscious, everything he did to him... the boy could feel it, being unable to move and call for help. Every cut, every hit, the boy felt them all. It was nice and slow. He had read a lot of medical books, so he knew where to stab and make it painful, how to go deep. And the pretty boy couldn't even say a word. When he stabbed the guy his final and death blow, letting him die of blood loss, he could see the boy could feel the pain even if he couldn't move a finger. And he watched it all...

He left a rhyme near him, at the place they would find him: “Tiger, tiger, orange and black.” It goes like this:

 

 _Tiger, tiger, orange and black,_  
He is somewhere about,  
So you better watch out.  
Tiger, tiger, orange and black,  
There on the ground  
I can see his tracks.  
So tiger, tiger, orange and black,  
I am going home -  
Before he jumps on my back!  
Roar!!! 

  
It was only a nursery rhyme, but everybody knew that the red head's nickname was Tiger and his name resembled that animal name too, Taiga. The rhyme was for his beloved “brother.”

And when his work was done he called the supposed brother of his and let them say goodbye. Well, try to, the boy couldn't muster but a few words, he was still immobilized after all.

Now this rhyme about bloody Mary was good for his purposes.

_Time to go._ He thought. They would be there soon. He cleaned everything he had touched, taking with him the mug he used, so the police wouldn't find his DNA in that. He would destroy it later, with his clothes. No one was searching for him, so he could destroy all the evidences and never been suspected. 

He exited the house with a smile on his face.

 

\------------

 


	2. Kuroko's discover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuroko and Kagami have never thought that their lives would change this much... in a split second, and for the worse...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, that's the chapter where Kuroko's parents' corpses where found, and oour boy's lives take a terrible turn. I hope you'll like this chapter though

**KUROKO'S DISCOVER**

 

 That evening, as usual, Kuroko went with Kagami to Maji, and then they hung out a bit. After that, they played at the basketball court for a while since the air was still warm, before deciding it was time to go home.

Kagami, after what happened to his brother, was overprotective of his friends, so now he accompanied Kuroko home any time they saw each other, which was almost every day unless the boy would meet his old friends from middle school.

Kuroko had told him that it was not necessary, but Kagami didn't listen and Kuroko knew that seeing him home made his friend more at ease, so he let him do it most of the time. Thus now Kagami knew his family, and his mother was fond of the red head, and sometimes she convinced him to stay for dinner.

They reached Kuroko's home, the light blue haired boy said goodbye to his friend and started to open the door. But he noticed that it wasn't locked. Strange. And the lights were off. Even more strange, since his mother should have been home.

“Kagami-kun!” He called in panic, and the red head came back immediately and was beside him as fast as he could.

“Kuroko?”

“Kagami-kun, my parents usually are at home at this hour. At least my mother. Why are the lights off? And the door was open.”

“That's strange. Your mother is always careful.”

Kuroko opened the door and searched for the light switch.

“Mum? Dad?” He called. They entered the genkan and the house seemed empty. Kuroko ran in the living room, followed by his friend, and there they stood, petrified by what they saw. The room was painted of blood. It was everywhere. Kuroko's father was lying in a pool of blood on the floor, his throat slit open. His mother was in the middle of the room, stabbed more than once, they didn't knew how many times, none of them checked... there was blood splattered all over the room, the furniture all red. There was blood on the table, on the couch, on the chairs and walls. And Kagami saw the rhyme written on the walls with what he assumed was their blood...

Kuroko fell on his knees without a sound, then he reacted, shouting and crying. The red head hugged him tight and said to him “It will be all right”, not really believing it himself.

They stayed like that until Kuroko calmed a bit, which was for a really, really long time. He was still crying, clinging on the red head, when Kagami managed to call the police and their friends, still holding Kuroko. He also called Akashi, he didn't even know why, he just though he needed to do it.

Midorima and Takao were the first ones to arrive. Kagami had already spoken to the police by then and brought Kuroko at home with him, after they had finished at the hospital. They needed to take care of Kuroko's parents and the doctor insisted to see the boy too, for psychological trauma.

The boy was shocked and the doctor gave him something and recommended to come see him the next days. The doctor talked to him too, saying that he wasn't unscathed from all that and that it would be better to talk to someone himself. He said that he would think about it, but he thought he could be fine by himself. Kuroko needed more assistance at the moment.

Aomine came too, but after seeing that Kuroko didn't spoke even a word he said it was useless and then returned home. However they all knew that he was furious, sad and frustrated about this, knowing he could do nothing for his friend. But his reactions were a bit... unique. They knew Aomine cared, he just didn't knew what to do and what to say.

Later, Momoi had told them that he went to her house, sat beside her, and stayed like that for a long time, doing nothing. That night though, he kept telling her that Tetsu didn't deserved something like that, and 'how this even happened anyway?' The boy couldn't stay calm all night. He had been at home and sent messages to her for the whole night.

Kise tried for some time to talk with Kuroko with no success. He was sat on his knees in front of the couch and had his hands on Kuroko's, but the boy never reacted, so he stood up defeated. He wasn't the usual Kise, he didn't said something silly, and his smile wasn't the happy one he usually sported.

“Kuroko, I think you should take the medicines and try to sleep for some hours.” Kagami tried, hugging the boy again. But the other clutched at his sleeve with force and said nothing.

Midorima exchanged gazes with Kagami, as if saying, “you're the only one who can make him feel safe, so for now do this”, and they nodded to each other.

Even when Kagami needed to make something to eat for all of them Kuroko stayed beside him all the time, following him to the kitchen and observing his friend preparing the ingredients and cooking. Not that Kuroko could actually eat, but they managed to make him take at least some bites, he needed to eat something for taking the pills.

Akashi arrived during the night. When Kagami called he said he would take the first train for Tokyo, but it was at least 2 hours and a half by train and it was already past school hours, he needed to arrange things and maybe had to take a taxi to Kagami's apartment, since the metro and buses had already stopped running.

When Akashi entered the living room, he found a sleeping Kise on a chair, a sleepy Takao sat on Midorima's lap on a side of the couch, and Kagami and Kuroko hugging each other.

He wasn't pleased at all, but Midorima called him apart and started to explain him the situation, so he relaxed visibly and nodded.

When he came back he looked at Kagami. “Taiga, when is possible we need to talk.” Kagami nodded at the other boy. After some hours Kuroko finally fell asleep on Kagami's couch and the red head went to talk to Akashi.

“I see.” Akashi said, after having been updated about the situation by the other boy.

“If I wasn't there I don't know what he would do.”

“You did a good job dealing with everything. And you think it was the same person that killed Tatsuya?”

“I am sure of it.”

“Why?”  
“He left something. A nursery rhyme written in English. Just like when we found Tatsuya.”

“In English?”

“I thought about it. Maybe I'm the only one apart you that knows English this well. So if he wasn't the same person, why write an English nursery rhyme? Kuroko is Japanese, so it would not have had any sense, he could find something similar in Japanese.”

“So he knew you would be with Tetsuya and would see it. That's what you think.”

“I think so. I don't even know why, but...”

“He knows us. And our schedule too, maybe.” The Rakuzan player mused. “It's personal, and he wanted to send us a message through you. What was written?”

“It was Mary's nursery rhyme.”

“Tell me about it.”

So Kagami explained that it was referring to the queen called Bloody Mary, Mary Elisabeth 1 st , known to be cruel and bloody, wanting to reestablish the old church in a protestant Country. He explained the meaning of the verses, including references about the torture instruments she apparently made use of. “And the last part was actually the old and original one, it's like he added it on purpose.”

He knew about the actual meaning of the rhyme, because he was shocked the first time he heard about it when he was a kid, still living in America.

“I'm glad that Kuroko didn't ask me about the rhyme 'till now. I don't even know if he saw it.”

“I agree. It's better if he doesn't know for now.”

Akashi had changed after the Winter Cup of their first year. During the final Seirin and Rakuzan faced each other and throughout that match something had happened to the point guard. After that match he returned his old self and tried to fix things with his former teammates and new ones too. And he acknowledged Kagami's talent. He wasn't so scary now, but he wasn't yet too friendly either. But he was trying. And Kagami was willing to give him a chance.

They still didn't agree on many things, but at least Akashi never tried to stab the other boy again and Kagami knew he was fond of his former teammates, especially Kuroko.

So the both of them knew that they had to collaborate for Kuroko's sake and he was eager to try.

“I said the police that he will stay with me for the time being.”

“Fine. But you're not safe either.”

“And what do you suggest? I'm the only one living alone. He already has taken something important from me. And now from Kuroko too. I knew their parents, his mother was sweet and caring, she often invited me to dinner. And his father was kind and hard working. They loved their son.” Kagami remained mostly calm until now, but his nerves were starting to give way.

The other boy noticed it. “Calm down, Taiga.”

“They…You have not seen it, it was...” He was almost hyperventilating, his nervousness was fairly visible and he was starting to speak too fast.  
“Taiga!”

“He painted the wall with their blood! Their blood! There was blood everywhere, on the floor, on the furniture...”

“Taiga!” Akashi shook the other's arms and he managed to make him snap out of it and calm down a little. He wasn't known for make physical contact with people, so touching and nearly hugging others was unusual, and maybe was that that made the other boy react.

“I... sorry.” Kagami said taking a slow breath. “It's just... fuck!”

“I know you had to endure your brother's murder. And now this. But you have to be strong now. ”

“I know.”

“You've made a good job so far.” At that Kagami looked at Akashi, surprised. A praise like this from the “emperor” was really rare.

“But it was not enough. I couldn't...”

“You couldn't have prevented it.” Akashi said, following his line of though.

“I think you need to talk with some professioni...”  
“I'm fine, I don't need it! Kuroko is the most wounded now.”

Akashi frowned but just said “If you think you need it tell me.”  
“Yeah.”

They returned to the living room and Kagami brought Kuroko in his room, still knocked by the medicine Kagami had forced on him earlier.

Akashi and Kise went in the guest room, while Takao and Midorima took the couch. Neither of them wanted to leave the two alone that night. Kagami took out a futon, but he couldn't sleep for long, replaying the scene in front of him every time he closed his eyes, and he was also seeing Tatsuya's crime scene all over again. He just stayed there, looking at the ceiling and the other sleeping boys. He was grateful Kuroko took the medicines, so he, at least, could rest, and maybe, not dreaming about his parents' murder.

He took a shower and went to cook really early, it was the only thing apart basketball that could always calm him. Not so much that day though. He knew that not one of them would have really much of an appetite, but they needed to eat something nonetheless.

Akashi wanted a meeting with everyone that morning, so they would have to call Aomine.

Kagami needed also to call the school for his and Kuroko's absence, neither of them would have the time to go to school for at least some days, and he would have to call Aida and their senpai as well, to explain what happened. They still didn't knew. He didn't call anyone of them yet.

When he talked to their coach, Riko wanted to come to see them, but he explained about the Miracles meeting and they agreed to wait, saying to tell Kuroko that they would help for everything he may need.

Akashi was the first to awake and come into the living room to eat breakfast. Not seeing Kagami he went to the kitchen.  
“Tetsuya?” The boy asked.

“He woke up during the night, but now he's sleeping. The doctor said that he would have problems sleeping or sleep too much, but it is normal. He also said that he may have nightmares.”

“Did you slept at all?”  
“Uh, I... a bit... I really can't...”  
“I see. I know it was shocking, maybe you too will really need to see the doctor. This is actually the second time for you to see something like this, and it's not something anyone can witness without being affected.”  
“I... I'll talk to him when I'll take Kuroko there.” He reluctantly agreed. He knew it already, after Tatsuya's death it was already difficult for him, he started to sleep less and less, and what happened to Kuroko's parents was worsening his already lack of sleep and stress. He also had nightmares sometime and adding the scene of Kuroko's parents in that house... So he had decided to talk to the doctor in the end, at least for a while.

Midorima came in some minutes later. They were all in the living room, talking about what to do now, eating, when a scream could be heard coming from Kagami's room.

“Kuroko!” They all ran to the boy. He was curled up in the bed, trembling, his eyes wet for the tears. Kagami went to sit beside him and hugged him.

“It's okay, Kuroko, I'm here.” He was circling his back trying to calm him while hugging his little feature. He seemed more tiny than ever, and the boy was never frail, he was a strong person normally, but this thing had broken him. And who wouldn't be?  
After some minutes the boy reacted and hugged him back, hard. “Kagami-kun?”

“Yeah. I'm here. We're all here.” And Kuroko saw Akashi beside the bed, Midorima near the door and a sleepy Takao and Kise, whom woke up at the scream and ran there as fast as they could.

“Tetsuya,” Akashi started, “You'll be fine. And we're all here.”

“Where's Aomine-kun? Momoi-san?”

“They're safe.” Hearing that the boy relaxed a bit more. But asked to call them to be sure. And their team mates at Seirin too.

They talked with Momoi on the phone for some time, she said that Aomine stayed there that night, she told them how he reacted. “He really cares, he just doesn't know what to do, so please don't be mad at him.”

“We're not Momoi-san.” Kagami tried to reassure her, since Kuroko was still just saying sporadic words. He still had to say a single complete sentence from the day before.

They spent the morning oozing, while Kagami spoke to Momoi and she promised she would drag Aomine there in the afternoon. Akashi was on his phone the whole time, talking with the police (only he knew how he could gain information from them) and some other people they didn't identified, apart from Mibuchi, and the boy also arranged for Kuroko's parents funeral. The police needed to do an autopsy, but they still needed to organize things.

Kagami had also called his senpai and updated them about the situation. He explained everything (at first Kagami didn't tell them that Kuroko's parents had been murdered and how, so he and the others had to tell them now) and Riko and the others offered their help, still shocked about Kagami's story. They all said to Kuroko that they would help him and to call them for everything and to not worry about school.

They also had contacted Murasakibara's coach to know how the giant was doing, they knew it was still too much asking him to be there, but knowing he was taken care of made Kuroko more at ease.

In the afternoon they managed to convince Kuroko to take a nap, he didn't wanted to, but then the medicine started to make effect and he was sleepy, so he reluctantly agreed, still holding Kagami's arm. Apparently he was his safety anchor or something. The doctor gave the boy Prozac and some other medication like trazodone to take, saying he had PTSD, one for helping him to sleep and the other for all the other things.

When Momoi and Aomine arrived at Kagami's apartment Kuroko was still asleep, but it was better this way, they could talk freely.

“It's something personal.” The Rakuzan's basketball team captain stated after having explained again what happened.

Aomine was the first to talk. “Are you saying someone wanted to make Tetsu and Taiga suffer?”

“That's exactly what I'm saying.”

“How do you know it?”  
“I called some expert. They think that Tatsuya's death and Tetsuya's parents murder where clearly some sort of message for you two.” The boy looked at Kagami. “Exactly as you and I had already figured out. And the rhyme was part of it. Whoever has done this wanted Taiga to read that and tell us about it. He wrote English nursery rhymes and not Japanese stories precisely for him to read.”

“Rhyme?” Aomine and Midorima exclaimed in unison, they didn't know yet about them.

“It's a nursery rhyme, but it has historical issues.” And so Kagami started to explain them about the rhyme left to the wall. Being Japanese they didn't grew up with them, so Kagami had to explain them about those stories.

“He left some verse where we found Tatsuya too... and now this.”

“So”, Midorima said looking at Akashi, “You're saying that the same person killed them, am I right? And they wanted Kagami to find and read those rhymes.”

“That's screwed!” Takao said, he voiced out what everyone were thinking.

“But why? Who are they? And why they wanted Kagami to read them-ssu?” Kise inquired.

“But if they targeted Kagami, why they killed Kuroko's parents?” Aomine asked.

Then Midorima turned toward Kagami. “Kagami, are you aware of someone who wants you dead or has a grudge against you?”

“I thought about it, but I really don't know. I mean, I never received threats or something like that.”

“I can confirm it.” Momoi vouched, her notes on her laps. “Kagamin is always kind with everyone, so I too don't think it's something like this, I couldn't find anyone that has a grunge against him. Or Tetsu-kun.” As expected from a info specialist, she had already gathered everything she could find.

“Apart the people he beat at basketball.” Aomine said trying to ease the tension, but instead worsening it.

“But it was undoubtedly an act of hatred.” Akashi stated, as a matter of fact. “Moreover he didn't harm him or Tetsuya themselves. He harmed their friends and family. He didn't wanted to kill them, but make them suffer losing someone they cared for.” Akashi was already sure of this and his profiler contacts had just confirmed the same thing earlier that morning. They were trying to trace a profile of the murderer, and told Akashi what they knew for the time being.

“What are you trying to say-ssu?” The blond asked.

“He targeted the people near them, so we can assume that he wanted them to see what he can do to their loved ones and make them suffer.”

“But why the two of them? I can understand if he hates Taiga, or Tetsu, but both of them?” Aomine was not known for thinking, but this time he used his head.

“That's a good question, Daiki. And that's what we have to understand.”

“How?”

“Taiga what connection could he have to the both of you? Why an English rhyme and not one in Japanese?”

“What are you trying to say?” The Seirin's ace asked.

“Whoever has done this clearly knows you enough. Or, at least, he investigated about you two. He knew you would understand the rhyme and its meaning since you grew up in America. He knew you were together that evening, so he may have followed you two for some time, or knows your schedule and routine. And he knew about you and Tatsuya's connection. This is not a spur of the moment thing. He knew exactly when to hit and how.”

“Premeditation.” Midorima said.

“You think he's someone from America?”  
“We can't discard this option yet.”

“I can't think about someone there who hates me. And if someone I know would come here, they would call, they've never been in Japan and I never talked about you over there apart on the street court. They don't know Kuroko or you.”

So the theory about someone from abroad was mostly discharged. The guys there didn't know enough about them.

The next days they tried to figure out as much as they could, also with the help of Akashi's acquaintances, who were profilers and knew what to search for.

Hyuuga, Riko, Izuki and Kiyoshi came to visit and took them their homework, which Kagami was not grateful at all. They had also talked to the teachers, so the two boys would be excused for their absence at school.

The Miracles were visiting almost everyday those two weeks, after school, except Akashi, that came whenever he could, since he had to take a train from Kyoto, and when he couldn't he was connected with Skype.

“Are you saying that he was there to see how we would react?” Kagami said at some point.

“Maybe. Surely he was not far away. My friend in the police said that he started to work on his profile, and the subject could be eager to see their targets reaction and feel pleasure in their sufferance. So he may have been near to observe. It seems also that they didn't found fingertips yet or DNA beside Kuroko's family, but they're still searching for some clue. We still don't know if they took something from the house, since Tetsuya still isn't allowed in the house to check, nor he wants to go there right now. They may have cleaned everything. It seems to be one perpetrator only, though my friends in the FBI aren't sure if he has accomplices. He's clever though. Normally we need to know if something is missing from the house, usually those kind of people take some... objects as souvenir from their victims, but we can't ask Tetsuya to go there, he isn't ready yet.” Kagami could agree, the house was still most probably the way they left it, painted of blood. If Kuroko had to see that again... they couldn't ask him for that, non now. Also the scientific team would still be there, searching for some clue, so no one would be allowed in the house until they had finished.

“That's messed up!” The blond model protested.

Kagami was looking at the other members of their meeting, sad and tired. “He took from us our family. So what now? Is he satisfied?”

“I'm not sure about this.” Everyone froze and turned to look at Akashi.

“I'd like to be wrong this time, but my source also agree with this...”  
“You're always right-ssu?” Kise couldn't stop his mouth. And as punishment he was hit on his head by Aomine and Midorima, and a gaze from Akashi made his spine feel a frozen wave.

Takao spoke for the first time during that meeting. “You think it's not over, right?” The red head nodded.

“Whoever he is, knows that if something happens to Tetsuya and Taiga, we will not stay still. There's the possibility that he would harm you as well.”

Kuroko chose that very moment for entering the room, having tried to sleep for enough time, and effectively doing it for more or less an hour or two, enduring his nightmares. “What...” He said. “Akashi, he will do it again?” The boy started to tremble. The Rakuzan player sighed. Kagami stood up and went to hug Kuroko, and once again, Akashi was not amused by the sight, but he let it go, knowing he couldn't do what Kagami was doing, Kuroko would not let him.

Kuroko was hugging the taller boy like he was his life board, trembling. But Kagami was able to calm him, partly on instinct and partly like the doctor instructed him. He was actually the only one that could do it, they all had tried but none of them could be of any help, so Akashi really couldn't protest for the time being. Even the doctor had said it, Kagami was Kuroko's anchor at the moment, he was the only one that could calm and relax the boy. “I think we all need a pause” Akashi said.

“Ahh I'm tired. Shin-chan let me take a nap on your lap.” Takao spoke with a smile at his partner.

“Not happening.” Was the green haired boy's answer.

Aomine being his selfish self, or at least he seemed to be, but they all could see he also was not his usual self, when Kagami was free again he asked him to cook. “Taiga, I'm hungry.”

“Uh right, Kagamicchi, it's already so late-ssu.”

Kagami moved Kuroko, who was sleeping on the couch, beside Akashi, silently asking him for help. The Rakuzan player put an arm on Kuroko's shoulder, so that the boy could lean on his chest. When they saw the boy didn't protest and let Kagami go, the taller boy nodded and went to the kitchen. Kise followed him wanting to help, and the two of them started to cook.

“Are you okay, Kagamicchi?” The blonde’s worried voice was obvious also for the red head.

“Yeah...”

Kise was cutting some vegetable while talking. “Kagamicchi you're tired. How much have you slept these last months?”

“I am fine, Kise.”

“No you're not. With everything that happened, it's normal if you're not okay.”

“I... shit! I have to stay strong or Kuroko would never recover.”

“Kagamicchi you already passed your limit. Do you really think that we can't see it? You found your brother killed and you were there when Kuroko's parents were found. It's not something people like us could ever have to deal with easily. We're just high school boys.”

“I'm talking with the doctor too when I take Kuroko there. It's helping.”

“Do you think that's enough?” All the times Kise could be clever, Kagami was thinking, he had to choose this one...

Actually the doctor had tried to give him some medication too, but he refused. He already accepted something to help him sleep and he didn't took it unless it was strictly necessary.

“... And I can see the bags under your eyes-ssu. You still don't sleep well.”

“It was better lately. But now... Kise there was so much blood... everywhere...”

“I can understand that it shocked you, have you talked to the doctor about it?”  
“Yeah, last time I was there with Kuroko. He gave me something too, but I can't really take some medicine now, I have to take care of Kuroko.”

“Just... you're not alone Kagamicchi. You can ask for our help, you know?”  
“Yeah, I know.”

He still remembered, too well actually, the day Himuro was found.

_His phone buzzed and he looked at the ID caller. It was Tatsuya._

_It wasn't rare, they often called each other during the last year. They had made up after their match during the Winter Cup of their first year, and from that moment on, they went back to be brothers and rivals._

_When he answered he only could hear his brother's distant voice saying a few words. “lp... me Tai...”_

“ _Tatsuya?” His brother's voice was strange, was he not feeling well? “What is happening? Where are you? Are you sick?”_

“ _Tai...call... olice...”_

“ _Tatsuya?? Hey Tatsuya! Please answer!!”_

_But the call ended there and the boy didn't picked up his phone after that. Kagami was really worried at that point._

_He tried to call everyone he knew that could know something. First he called Murasakibara, but the lazy boy didn't picked up. Then he tried with some of his team mates, but they said that he left practice like usual and he was fine. So in the end he took the first train for Akita. Even Murasakibara was worried at that point. Kagami managed to reach the boy while he was buying the ticket on internet and the giant said that he didn't see Himuro at all, and when he tried to call him he never answered, and that was strange, since Himuro always answered to Murasakibara's calls. When he arrived at Akita he went directly to the giant's dormitory and he said that 'Muro-chin didn't came home last night.' And that was strange. Tatsuya always took care of the childish boy, he would never stay out without saying anything. They started to search everywhere, he managed to call the Yosen team to help too._

_After hours of useless searching all over a town he didn't even knew (their coach had also called the police so they weren't alone at least) he received a message from Tatsuya's phone with a location and he asked for directions to reach the point. It took him at least an hour to reach the place and when he arrived he frantically searched for his old friend. Why Tatsuya was giving him just a place to meet? Why not talking to the phone? Something must have been happened to him, he was sure of it, or the boy would have called or answered his calls._

_Was he in some accident? But when he reached the place it was no hospital at all. It was just a city corner like anyone else, not even in the center of the town, but in an old suburb filled with bad people. It was a desolate place, so no wonder no one saw him before. That was when he saw his brother._

_He was sat against a wall, with his clothes dirty of blood, his eyes spent, the head was bend on a shoulder, the body already cold._

_He couldn't react for a moment, he couldn't think. Then it all came at once. “Tatsuyaaaa!!!”_

_He knew at first glance that his brother was dead. Though he had to try. He touched his arm and called him, but there was no reaction. He, then, called the police in panic, crying. He called Murasakibara and the Yosen team that were still searching for their teammate. Then he called Kuroko._

_He also found the rhyme beside the corpse. Or more precisely on the wall, that was made of bricks. But only after the autopsy they knew exactly what the murder had done to Himuro. And they said that the message saying where to find Himuro was sent by the murder, since his brother was already dead by that time. They didn't found the murder's fingerprints though, so they didn't knew who the assassin was. They just left him there to be found, after having tortured him and letting him bleed to death. They cut him in points where it hurt more but not enough to spill too much blood, at least a dozen times. They injected him some drug that let him be awake but not able to move or speak. It seem that they tortured Himuro for hours before giving him the last injury, the one that let him die really slowly for blood loss._

Kise's voice calling him made him return to the present situation.

“You can't do everything alone, let me help you.”

“No. You're a model, you can't be involved, actually no one of you should, not more than this. I don't want anyone else being hurt again.” Kise couldn't retort at that, Kagami was worried for them, (and maybe if he was in his place he would do the same) but it was also true that no one of them could stay still seeing their friends hurt like that, they were already involved. “We're already involved, but I can understand you're worried for us.” The blond said. “Still we're also worried for you, don't forget it.”

That night they all left, their parents wanted them home, but they all wanted to be updated and sent messages to Kagami every some hour.

Some days after, at Kuroko's parent's funeral there were also the boys of Seirin basketball team and Kasamatsu was there too, and some others from Shutoku and Rakuzan. They all offered help, but Kagami did never wanted to bother them, and Kuroko just said thanks and cling to Kagami all the time.

The weeks passed and Kagami and Kuroko always went together to school, shopping or to the doctor's appointment. The boy didn't wanted to be alone and Kagami would be less worried if he was with him, so they managed. And the doctor was trying to help them both, so it worked somehow. Besides, Kagami could also count on Akashi paying the doctor's fee, so that his father wouldn't know about this and make him go back to America. At first he had refused, saying that he could pay for himself, but then he thought that if he asked his father to pay for the doctor's appointment, the man would have asked the reasons and he didn't want to leave, so in the end he accepted Akashi's help, just for this one (also because the boy payed a good specialist for Kuroko and him without listen to his protest).

Kuroko still had nightmares and Kagami was always there for him, even if he, himself, still had some too, but never said it to his friend. The medication helped though, and Kuroko seemed starting to recover, even if the whole recovery would be something really slow.

All the Seirin's basketball team wanted to help them. They sometimes helped with groceries or with Nigou, who was in Aida and Hyuuga's care for the time being. Fortunately the dog was with them the day of the murder, and he wasn't hurt too, so Kuroko could at least still have the puppy with him.

Kagami never told his father about Himuro or Kuroko's parents, he was obstinate to not tell him, or the man would have him back in America in a day to never going back and he didn't want that. So when his teammates asked him about his parents he kind of avoided to answer, and they didn't pry further.

The two boys still went to practice, but Kuroko only sat on the bench, he was in no condition to play, he would just stare at them all the time nor really seeing them. But it was all right. The doctor said to do everything as normal as possible, but not to force the boy doing things. If he wanted to play he could do it, it would distract him for a bit, but he said that he just wanted to look at them for the time being.

Kagami and Riko talked to the principal so now the light blue haired teen was officially living with Kagami.

The little boy was still having nightmares all nights, and still had problems eating, so Kagami was trying everything he could to make him eat more, making him his favorites and milkshakes. But he was only a seventeen years old boy, and he was tired. He was still going on only by willpower, not being able to sleep himself and taking care of someone else constantly. His friends tried to tell him that they could help him, but he didn't want to, he said that he could still go on.

And he told Alex he was fine. The woman was still worried, and called him a lot, saying that if things would get worse she would take him back by force and tell his father, even if that meant he would be angry.

Another month passed and Kuroko, slowly, started to recover. His mental scars and loss though, would never go away. He was diagnose a PTSD, and it was something really difficult to heal from, the doctor said that he would probably never completely recover, while Kagami's diagnose was the same, he was stronger and he was dealing better, still he wasn't unscathed.

Nothing had happened again for months, so they thought everything was over, they thought that they could recover and go back to their lives, they thought the killer had being already satisfied and stopped his activity. Great mistake.

One day Midorima was at school, Takao didn't came to pick him up with the rickshaw (so he was late). And that was strange, the boy was going every day to pick him up. He wasn't even at school when lesson started. Moreover Oha Asa's horoscope said that Scorpio was at the last place that day and he would have to be aware of people he didn't knew well enough.

If he was sick he would have called Midorima or would have sent a message before school. So the bespectacled boy called Takao between first and second hour, but the boy didn't pick up his phone. Really strange. Takao always answered Midorima's calls.

At lunch time he still didn't have news from his annoying boyfriend. So he decided to call his house and his mother was surprised. She said that Takao had sent her a message last night saying he was at Midorima's house and he would sleep there. “Takao-san you still have the message?” He had a bad feeling.

“Yes, why?”

“I'm heading there, I want to confirm something.” He didn't even care that school wasn't over yet, he gathered his things and stood up. The green haired boy was praying. He was praying to be wrong. Takao was safe, he had to be.

But his prayers fell the moment he saw the message.

There was indeed a message sent by Takao's phone. But he would never say or write “Midorima”, he always called him “Shin-chan” even with others around, even with his own parents. So there was only a conclusion. Takao was not the one who sent that message. He said to the woman to call the police and he called the other boys in panic.

“Calm down Shintarou.” Akashi ordered him. “I will take the first train for Tokyo, gather at Taiga's, I'll call the detectives.”

In two hours they were all in Kagami's apartment, trying to figure out where the hawk eyed boy could be. They already looked everywhere he could normally be. Kise came an hour later and Akashi came some time during the afternoon, having to take a train from Kyoto. And he was already there when Midorima's phone signaled a new message. The green head looked at it and paled.

“What does that mean? Kagami can you translate it?”

 

There's a grim one-horse hearse in a jolly round trot  
To the churchyard a pauper is going, I wot;  
The road it is rough, and the hearse has no springs;  
And hark to the dirge which the mad driver sings;  
Rattle his bones over the stones!  
He's only a pauper whom nobody owns!  
  
O, where are the mourners? Alas! there are none,  
He has left not a gap in the world, now he's gone,  
Not a tear in the eye of child, woman, or man;  
To the grave with his carcass as fast as you can:  
Rattle his bones over the stones!  
He's only a pauper whom nobody owns!

 

_What a jolting and creaking and splashing and din!_

_The whip, how it cracks! and the wheels, how they spin!_

_How the dirt, right and left, o’er the hedges is hurled!_

_The pauper at length makes a noise in the world!_

_Rattle his bones over the stones!_

_He ’s only a pauper whom nobody owns!_

 

_Poor pauper defunct! he has made some approach_

_To gentility, now that he ’s stretched in a coach!_

_He ’s taking a drive in his carriage at last!_

_But it will not be long, if he goes on so fast:_

_Rattle his bones over the stones!_

_He ’s only a pauper whom nobody owns!_

 

_You bumpkins! who stare at your brother conveyed,_

_Behold what respect to a cloddy is paid!_

_And be joyful to think, when by death you ’re laid low,_

_You’ve a chance to the grave like a gemman to go!_

_Rattle his bones over the stones!_

_He ’s only a pauper whom nobody owns!_

 

_But a truce to this strain; for my soul it is sad,_

_To think that a heart in humanity clad_

_Should make, like the brute, such a desolate end,_

_And depart from the light without leaving a friend!_

_Bear soft his bones over the stones!_

_Though a pauper, he's one whom his Maker yet owns!_

_  
_ That was what was written. It was another rhyme. But Kagami didn't knew this one. He translated it for them, but couldn't be of any use this time. Akashi was already on internet and phone.

They found out that the rhyme was written by Noel in 1846, its title was “The pauper's drive” and they read it all, with Kagami translating it for them. It was a poem about a pauper dying without someone who could mourn him, because he was poor. He was buried in a grave and no one could claim his body.

“Wait are you saying he's....”

But Akashi was faster. He had already searched for churches where poor and unknown people were buried in the past, and with the help of Momoi and the police they could find one. They all stood up.

“Kagami-kun.” Kuroko called clinging at the red head's arm.

“Kuroko, I think you could be safe with Aomine and Momoi-san here.” Momoi nodded at the red head.

“No!” The boy protested. “I want to come. Please... I need... I need to see... I need to see if he's... safe...”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Fine.” He couldn't refuse, right?

During the way Akashi called his detective friend who was heading to the red head's house telling them that they were going to the church, so they could join them on the way. No one called Takao's parents, they needed to find him first.

They searched everywhere, but couldn't find Takao.

The detective then stepped in. “He's buried, so we have to search for some graveyard or some ground recently moved.”

The priest there helped them and, finally, after a lot of searching, they found a tomb that the priest didn't recall being there before.

“Dig! NOW!” Akashi ordered. They quickly disinterred the coffin. Takao was in there. Some sticky thing was on him, they determined it was honey, and some ants had already started eating him alive.

“Takaoo!!” Midorima ran toward the boy but was stopped by the policemen.

“Stay there boy, we need to check on him.” The medics where already there to check the vitals. The green haired boy protested to no avail. Kuroko's hand was holding tight Kagami's sleeve, his eyes wide and filled with worry and fear, tears were already rolling on his cheeks. Momoi was crying hugging Aomine, who was clearly pissed.

A doctor checked the dark haired boy. “He's barely alive, we need to bring him immediately to the hospital.” And so they all headed there, with a police car, after the ambulance.

Once in the hospital while Akashi was talking with his friend detective telling them what happened and talking about the rhyme and messages, the other boys were in the waiting room. They already talked with Takao's parents and they would be there soon, his mother was crying on the phone.

After what seemed hours someone came to give them news. Takao had been stunned with a blow to the head and an electrified stunner, blindfolded, bounded, left without eating and drinking from the day before and then forced to drink alcohol until he was drunk enough to pass out, they gave him a drug to keep him calm and impede his movements; he also had several cuts made with a knife, like someone wanted to hurt him and let him bleed, but not too much to die. Maybe he was trying to escape and they hit him, but the injuries seemed made to make him suffer more than anything else. In other words he was tortured. He was tied up and they spread some honey on him. Finally, he was buried alive. The honey purpose was to attract the ants and since it wasn't too much, the ants would start to eat the boy instead. It was a terrifying experience, since Takao had been awake when he was in the tomb, and the oxygen wasn't much to begin with, and being eaten alive by ants wasn't exactly a happy memory. He would survive, though about his mental state, the doctors said that he would need a specialist too. The trauma for being buried alive would be difficult to heal. They would have him under surveillance for a couple nights at least, then he could go home. The boy's parents were still shocked to see him like that, especially after having heard what he had to endure, but at least he was still alive, even though he really risked his life. Doctors said that had they arrived some minutes later, it could had been too late .

The police would come in some days to take the depositions of them all. Midorima asked to see Takao but the nurse said that, for the moment only parents were allowed, however Takao's mother insisted that he was like family, so in the end the doctor let him in the room.

The other teens went home, saying that they would come visit Takao the next day.

 



When Midorima entered the hospital room he could see a tiny figure laid on the bed. Takao was so pale and his were the eyes of a frightened little boy, not the ones he remembered being the most annoying and impertinent he had ever met. They weren't the eyes of his Takao, the annoyingly always cheerful boy who was always messing with him. It was shocking for him to see his friend like that, and when he turned towards Takao's parents he could see it was the same for them. The boy refused to sleep, saying he wanted to see them first and also that he was scared to close his eyes. Well, it wasn't surprising. He woke up in a coffin with ants eating him alive and not enough oxygen to breath. It was natural to have fear that it could be repeating again. Even if he knew he was safe now, his unconscious self was another story. Midorima had made his researches already, months earlier when Kuroko was diagnosed PTSD and he already knew that Takao would most probably be diagnosed that too.

Takao's arms were bandaged and the same was for his neck, but you could still see the bruises. The doctor's had found out later that he was also strangled and made unconscious, for him to regain consciousness later. More than once. It seem that the bruises on his neck weren't visible at first, they noticed it only through the check out on the boy, the throat wasn't damaged though, so he would be able to talk normally again in a few days.

“I...” The boy said with a strangled noise.

“Kazu...” The woman said.

“I know I'm not a great view right now.” Takao said to no one in particular.

“You'll be fine, the doctors said you'll recover fast dear.” His mum said. “And you shouldn't talk.”  
“Yeah...” The boy's voice was nonexistent, the doctor said it was normal, he needed time to recover, since his vocal chords have been strained, but the damage was not irreversible. It just needed some time.

The boy then noticed Midorima there. His mother told him it was thanks to him and his friends that he was still alive and started to cry again, her husband hugged her.

“Shin...” Then the boy couldn't talk anymore, his eyes were now wet with tears he clearly didn't want to have.

“Takao...” Midorima too couldn't say anything, his throat was closed “I couldn't permit you to leave me.” He said on impulse, he wanted to say us but instead his mouth said something else, making the boy's eyes wide by the surprise.

And he felt his cheeks burn. But Takao's little smile at him made his heart skip a beat and made his little tongue slip worth it.

“Shin-chan...”

“Don't talk, you need to recover.” Takao nodded.

The nurse came in some minute after, saying that the patient needed to rest and made everyone exit the room.

Takao's parents thanked him again and he promised to come again to visit, then headed home.

Takao was alive and he thanked every deity he knew for that.

 

\-----------------------

 

 


	3. The nighmare continues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It wasn't the end. Kuroko and Kagami were not the only ones to suffer, Takao was not the last one to be attacked. Would they find the culprit in the end?

**THE NIGHTMARE CONTINUES**

Akashi went home with Kagami and Kuroko. The Seirin ace offered him his place for how much time he needed, and the other accepted, not wanting to go back to Kyoto by night or finding an hotel to stay (it was also quite late, so it wouldn't be simple) and leaving Kuroko after what happened to Takao.

It was strange for the both of them this “friendship”, but they knew it was necessary for all of them to be close now, and also for Kuroko to have them all near him.

Akashi still wanted Kuroko to transfer to Rakuzan and stay with him, (he asked him twice already) but the boy already refused, he wanted to stay at Seirin, with his friends and senpai. And also the doctor said that it was good for him to stay in a familiar environment, so Akashi let him. Beside s Kagami was still his anchor and he couldn't separate them for now, Kuroko needed something to keep him stabilized and safe and Kagami was that for him.

But he also could see that Kagami was too tired, the boy was at his limit, he wasn't unscathed by all of this himself, but didn't want people to know. He was taking good care of Kuroko, but what about himself? Akashi could see right through the other's facade, and as strang e as it may seem , he was worried for the boy too. Once, he even said to Kagami to rest. He had already started to consider Kagami as one of them, and a friend, so he was trying to take care of him as he was the others.

“I'm fine.” Kagami had answered him, knowing full well he couldn't foul someone like Akashi.

“You can hide it form the others, but not me.” And Akashi made it clear he knew how things were. “You still have nightmares and can't sleep. And you're taking care of Tetsuya all the time. Are you even taking your medication? Rest a bit, I'll take care of him while I'm here.”

“I still can go on.” But he couldn't and both of them knew it. “Uhm, since you're here, you can... help just for tonight.” Kagami finally conceded, so Akashi took his place for that time. This, though, didn't solve the problem.

One day Kagami was playing a one on one with Aomine, and Kuroko was with them of course , sat on the bench looking at his friends playing. But Kagami was too exhausted and he tripped on his own feet and couldn't stand up again, Aomine was so pissed at that. “You were playing like shit anyway.” The boy said, helping the red head to walk and returning with him to Kagami's apartment before he c ould faint for good. Kuroko insisted to call the doctor and Kagami's protest went unheard.

He was forced to stay in bed by the two teens while waiting for the doctor, who, after having checked on him, said that he was over-fatigued and needed to rest. He gave him a week of rest and said to talk with their therapist. Kuroko called Akashi to tell him what happened and when Akashi had listened about it, he scolded Kagami not for the first time.

“Kagami-kun, I'm a little pissed.” Kuroko was just back to the room, after having assured Akashi that he would make Kagami rest by force if it was necessary.

“Kuroko? Why?”

“You overdid it. You tried to help everyone, but you can't do it this way. I'm fine, so you can take some rest.”

“I can do it. I'll be fine after some sleep.” The red head insisted.

“Sure.” Aomine snorted. “I can see how healthy you are right now. You'll never beat me again like this.”

“I can beat you just fine!”

“Yeah in your dreams. Rest Bakagami, like a good boy.”

“Idiot.” The red head retorted. But he knew they were right, he only didn't want to admit it. Though he promised the two he would rest more. That if his personal demons left him be during nights. It was true that he still had nightmares, even if not so much as before. But he wasn't the only one. Kuroko still had them too, and he could understand the boy's fear all too well. It wasn't unusual for Kuroko to wake up during the night crying, and Kagami was right beside him. He knew what it meant to see your parents and friend dead in front of your eyes, he knew too well. He himself was replaying those scenes all the time, and he knew that Kuroko was doing the same, seeing his parents cruelly murdered in that room, in his house, all the time. But things were better than before at least, Kuroko could sleep more now, and the medications were heping.

In the days following T akao's murder attempt, all the boys went to visit the point guard at the hospital, and in about two weeks the boy was discharged from the hospital, they had decided to keep him there after he had some panic atta cks and his wounds reopened. He obviously had nightmares about what happened, he was buried alive after all, and almost eaten by ants. So Akashi made him go to the same specialist of Kuroko. The boy once joked about all of them being a desperate case of group therapy for mental ill people, and he had a point.

They held other meetings, it was now clear that the assassin wanted all of them to suffer, not only the two Seirin's players. So the theory abou t only the two of them having offended someone was wrong. But neither them nor the police knew who the murderer was and the research were still fruitless. He failed this time, just a few more minutes, but he would not stop. They didn't call Murasakibara to come all the way there from Akita, it wasn't necessary and the boy was safer there, his teammates were taking good care of him, so Akashi would inform him by phone about the recent events. The boy was still sad and lonely without Himuro, even if his teammates were trying to help him get over his lover's death, and knowing someone else besides Kuroko was hurt agai n would not help him at all.

It was decided that no one of them would be alone again for the time being. Aomine, as always protested, because he didn't want to be stuck with Momoi, but he was the most suitable for that job, since they were childhood friends an d lived next to each other, and she was always with him anyway. Kise was advised to be with Kasamatsu as much as possible, therefore tell the boy everything that was happening if he already didn't knew (knowing Kise's big mouth everyone on the Kaijjo team would have been already informed). They also suggested the blond to tell his agent. The man wanted to hire a bodyguard, but Kise refused, saying he wouldn't be harmed personally. He had told his family though and they decided to go to some parent for a couple weeks. Kise refused though, he had to do some modeling job and wanted to be there for his friends.

Midorima and Takao would be together all the time, while Akashi would be with his men and Mibuchi or Hayama, and Kagami and Kuroko were living together, so they were already set. Akashi made sure Murasakibara was also with someone all the time, his teammates volunteered for the task, and so their coach. The boy also asked his friends in the police for information and help if necessary. But it seemed that the killer wasn't stuc k with a well-defined modus operandi, so making a profile was hard. Furthermore they could say that, according to the still not complete profile, the Unknown Subject was probably a young male, around their age or a little bit older, not more than 20 anyway, a narcissistic person, still experimenting and so far they didn't had a clear routin e, yet to find their own way of doing things. Still they were already aware of their preferences, and they loved to see their victims suffer and die slowly. They killed every time with a different style, though it seemed they particularly liked using sharp things like knives and they liked to spill blood. They were using rhymes as signature, they seemed to be their way of communication and th e only actual recurring element, a clear sign of their growing as serial murder. They were clever and ne ver left fingerprints. They must have been reading a lot about police investigative methods and procedure or have so me acquaintances working in that field. They probably knew their victims and took information before acting. They were methodical and organized. They more likely had a mission, they wanted to make their “enemies” suffer and, for that to happen, they murdered the people their target loved. Unfortunately no one of them had any idea who could they be. The police was still trying to gather informatio n about them.

Another month passed before something happened again.

That evening Aomine went home with Momoi, as always, and after having said goodbye he headed home himself. What he didn't knew was that some hours later Momoi's mother sent the girl to the convenience store for some things she forgot to buy and the girl didn't called him to go with her. Maybe she thought it wasn't necessary, but still she had been careless.

Aomine was lazing in his room, reading some gravure magazine with Mai-chan in it, when his phone buzzed. A message. He didn't want to move, damn it. He lazily went to retrieve the phone, it was Satsuki. He thought it was the usual 'Remember tomorrow's early practice.' But when he opened the message he was greeted by something else:

 

_Ding, dong, bell,_  
_Pussy’s in the well._  
_Who put her in?_  
_Little Johnny Green._  
_Who pulled her out?_  
_Little Tommy Stout._  
_What a naughty boy was that,_  
_To try to drown poor pussy cat,_  
_Who ne’er did him any harm,_  
_But killed all the mice in the farmer's barn._

 

_“_ Shit!” He didn't knew what it meant, he wasn't good with English, but he knew immediately that it wasn't Satsuki that had sent the message. He called immediately Satsuki's home and her mother was worried, she went to the convenience store more than an hour prior and didn't returned yet.

“How could you let her go alone?? Are you stupid woman??” He snapped. They told the woman about what was happening, the police too had said to be extremely careful, so why did she let her daughter go out alone at that hour? Was she thinking it was all a game? An invention? Was it because the situation seemed to be calm in a while? Did she thought it was all solved?

“I thought...” He hung up on her and called Taiga.

Kagami and Kuroko were already on the internet when he arrived at their apartment and had already called everyone.

Kise was the first one to arri ve, being near their whereabouts for a photo-shoot.

When Midorima and Takao arrived, Akashi was on live call.

They learned that that particular rhyme was referred to a boy, a future serial killer practicing by trying to drown a feline. Or possibly trying to poison the village's water supply.

But it could also refer to the barbaric practice of ducking, a punishment for who was involved in scandalous behavior.

These women would be marched down to the well pond or village water source and repeatedly ducked under the water, sometimes resulting in their deaths.

“So what that means?” Aom ine was restless. He needed to find Satsuki, he couldn't be stuck there. He was pacing around with impatience.

“Calm down Aomine.” Kagami said, knowing the man's short temper, though he could sympathize with him.

“I can't! Satsuki... if something happens to her...” He was clearly worried sick and frustrated.  
Kuroko was looking at his friend with a sad expression. “Aomine-kun we're all worried about her.” Aomine finally stopped walking and looked at his friend. He knew Kuroko was worried too, he knew that all of them were, but he was her childhood friend, he knew the girl like no one else, she was like a sister to him. That was why, if something would happen to her... he would feel responsible.

“Maybe it's something about water.” Midorima said. “I mean, last time was the same. Takao, I'm sorry to talk about this.” He said looking at the other boy, who visibly tensed at his words about his failed attempt of murder.

“It's okay, Shin-chan, I understand what you mean.” Still Midorima took his boyfriend's hand in his.

“Shitarou is right. “Akashi agreed. “It may have something to do with water. Daiki, is there a place with a lot of water nearby?”

Aomine went wide eyed. “Shit! The school pool!” He said. “But how can he know how to go there? The school is closed anyway.”

“We have to try.” Kagami was already on his feet. “Lead the way.”

“I'll call the detective, he will be there soon.” Akashi said. They all exited the apartment and headed to Tohou high school. When they arrived the police man was already there. They found the school already open and went toward the pool. The detective w ent with them leaving the other policemen follow with the medics. They found the girl tied up in the pool, she was still alive but for how much they didn't knew. The ambula nce brought Momoi at the hospital as fast as p ossible.

“Fuck! FUCK! I will kill you damn bastard!” Aomine snapped for good this time.

“Aomine calm down. She's...”

“Don't tell me to calm down, Kagami!” He shouted. “He had fucking tried to kill Satsuki! If we came here a minute later she would be dead!”

“We all know what you...” Kise tried to help.

“What do you know? He didn't tried to kill... ouch!”

Kuroko elbowed him in the guts. At least the little boy had gained back his will to fight.  
“Aomine-kun, I don't think you reall y want to say that.”

“Tetsu...” Aomine looked at his friend a nd felt guilty. Kuroko's parents were murdered, and also Kagami's brother. And Takao was alive for some miracle. He was not the only one who was suffering. He knew that, but it was Satsuki damn it!

“I think you boys should go home, or at the hospital for your friend.” The detective said. “Let us handle things here.” They nodded, hoping they would find some clue this time. They called Akashi to update him too.

“You should call Momoi-san's mother.” Kuroko suggested during the way.

“You do it, Tetsu. I... fought with her earlier. She let Satsuki go out without calling me first.”

At that everyone understood that Aomine was feeling responsible, even if he didn't say anything, and Kuroko dialed Momoi's home number. Her mother arrived at the hospital in half an hour, desperate and crying. She apologized to Aomine more than once, saying she underestimated the risks and didn't have to send her out alone even if the place ware nearby at that hour at night knowing that she might be in danger and promised to call him next time.

Aomine snorted. “You knew we were all in danger, yet you let her go alone.”

The boy was stubborn, but Kuroko stepped in.

“Aomine-kun. This is not the right moment to be inflexible.”

“Ahhh Fine!” The tanned boy raised his hands, still flustered, but accepted the woman's apology. They were all still tense for the events that night and worried for the girl, they didn't need to fight.

Some hours later they talked with the detective. The murderer was always able to attack the people they loved, and this time was no different. Every time he managed to let the person know, just to look at them find their belo ved dead. How could he do that? He had to know them well for doing it. And he was taking delight in their suffering.

Akashi and the detective also added one thing. “He always leave a rhyme. But it's an English rhyme, so that only Kagami-kun is able to read it.” The man said. “That suggests that he is, in the eyes of the killer, the most responsible for something that happened to him, but not the only one, so he had started with him and now he wants to punish all of you for that. Still it seem that Kagami-kun is special in some way for our US (unknown subject).”

They remained silent, musing. Neither of them could think of something Kagami could have done to that person.

“He is punishing Kagami making him translate those rhymes knowing that they would make you suffer through it and the person dear to you being hurt, and they would suffer seeing you suffer. It's a chain. Also, he did never attack your parents. It's like they did not exist in his world. Apart Kuroko-kun's. For some reason they were an exception.”

They all thought that was messed up. How could someone have a so distorted mind?

“Then why he killed Kuroko's parents?”

“They probably were in his way. From what I could understand until now, they may have said something that angered him. Though th ey also were the people Kuroko-kun loved the most. So he probably had planned to kill them anyway. We aren't sure of it yet.”

Later that night, they knew about the girl's conditions. Momoi was stable now, but she was in a pharmacological coma. The doctors said that they would see in a c ouple days what to do.

She was nearly drowned by pushing her head underwater for a lot of times, almost strangled and then tied and thrown in the pool. It seem that the murderer had also tried to rape her, but she defended her self. Or maybe he just wanted her to think he would, her clothes were ripped, but the police didn't find any epithelial evidence under her nails or other parts, the water may have washed everything away. Or, maybe, the assassin just wanted to install the fear in the girl, it didn't seem the subject was that kind of person, according to the profiler, he didn't felt sexually excited by his victims, so maybe the theory about the fear was the most likely to be right. Though making them suffer was giving him pleasure, and he probably was feeling emotionally satisfied. Nevertheless, the detective had said that this was just the beginning for the murderer, the emotionally happiness would, probably, transform in the near future into something also physical.

The police checked to find some other evidence in the school, some clue on Momoi's clothes, maybe some DNA under her nails or something that could help them to fin d the culprit identity. But whatever there was, the water had washed everything away, and they may have also had used some medical gloves or similar like the other times. They were really careful, too much actually. And that confirmed that the subject had indeed some knowledge about police methods. They asked the boys to be really careful, they couldn't do more than that, they were too many for the police to have them under protection.

“Taiga, Tetsuya, I commend you Daiki's safety.” Akashi wanted Aomine to stay at Kagami's for a couple days, so they could take him under control. Obviously the boy protested, but at Akashi's change of tone he gulped and couldn't refuse. The Rakuzan's team captain also talked to Aomine's parents about that and gave them the detective's number for any issue, so they reluctantly agreed.

Thus starting from the next day Kagami and Kuroko had to go to Tohou with an annoying Aomine to drop him at school and then head for Seirin high every day, and go to pick him up too. They couldn't entrust him to any of his teammates anyway. Who would be able to handle him? Not Sakurai nor Wakamatsu. Unfortunately Imayoshi had already graduated.

Wakamatsu was entering the school and saw them with a sulking Aomine on toe. “Uh? Kagami? Kuroko? What are you doing here?”

“Good morning, Wakamatsu-kun.” Kuroko bowed to the older boy, still polite as always, that had no changed even after what had happened to him. They told him what happened to Momoi and he was shocked, but nodded, saying he would explain the situation to the others. They all knew about Kuroko and Kagami's circumstances, but none of them thought the situation was so dangerous.

“So he's staying with you? I'm surprised he accepted.”

“Only for some time.”

“Kagami's cooking is good.” The tanned boy said, hands in his pockets, as if it was enough reason to accept.

“Ah, I will tell the others, don't worry.”

“Thanks. And could you please not let him leave alone?”

“Hey, Tetsu, I'm not a kid!”

“You're still in danger. Please Aomine-kun.”

Aomine opened his mouth to protest. “I can...” But then Aomine looked at Kuroko and saw the boy's expression and stopped.

“You can't!” Kagami snapped. The two aces gazed at each other for a moment, then Aomine surrendered. “Fine, I'll ask Sakurai or someone to come with me.”

“I'll do it if needed” Wakamatsu offered, and the subject was closed.

After tha t, everyone head ed to their respective schools.

In the afternoon Aomine wanted a one on one so the three boys went to the nearby court.

The two aces, as always, fought like there was no tomorrow, they needed it. It was the only way for them to not think of what was happening to all of them for some time and try to relax a bit, it was the only normal thing they had those days.

Since all that started, their one on ones had been reduced, but now they could relax and think only about that for a while. For some time that distracted them, but when they were so tired that they could no longer stand, all the things happened those months came to hunt them again.

Aomine's phone buzzed and when he looked with terror at the ID he released the breath he didn't knew was holding. “Imayoshi?”

“Your former captain? You're still in contact?” Kagami asked.

“No.” And now the tanned man was worried again. What if the message was another rhyme? But it was a normal one. Imayoshi wanted to kn ow what happened to Momoi and was asking him to meet. They decided to meet him all together the day after and explain him everything.

The next day they were all in a coffee shop near Imayoshi's college.

“I see.” He was saying after having listened to the whole story.

“I'm really sorry, Kagami, Kuroko. I didn't knew all the story.” The boy took a sip at his coffee.

“How did you know that we had problems anyway?” Aomine asked.

“I still have contacts with someone at school. Wakamatsu told me something He was worried. Anyway, some days ago Momoi wanted to ask me some things about middle school, so we met.”

“She didn't tell me anything.”  
“I think she did want to confirm something before telling you.”

Kuroko wanted to know more about it. “Imayoshi-san, what did you two talked about?”

“ Let’s see... She was investigating about some people that may have a grudge against you.”

“Who are they?”

“One was Haizaki Shougo, but she seemed to want to discard him since he didn't have anything specific against Kagami. I think she was more focused on Hanamiya Makoto.”

“Hanamiya???”

“Kagami-kun, stay calm, please.”

“He's the one that ruined Kiyoshi's knee and tried again with us for two years.”  
“Kirisak i Daiic hi, right?” Aomine asked.

“That's him.” Imayoshi let them know that he knew him from middle school. “He has a very high QI, but he's undoubtedly disturbed. You beat their team two times in two years. He had tried to injure you. But killing people...”

“You think h e could do something like this?”

“Maybe. I don't really know. Playing dirty in a basketball match is one thing, but actually killing people is entirely another.”

Aomine stood up. “Bastard I'll kill him!” But Kuroko stopped him.

“Aomine-kun please, calm down.”

“Why? We know who...”

“Ahomine, you idiot we need proofs!” Kagami reminded him. “And we don't know for sure. Let's call the others and ask the detective for help.”

“I don't need them, I can...”  
“What? Let him kill you?” Kagami was face to face with the other ace now, none of them backing out.

“I agree.” Imayoshi intervened. “He's clever, and you're not known for thinking.”

“You bastard...”

“Also we're not sure if it's him. You can be wrong.”

“Aomine-kun, please, we don't want to lose you too.” Kuroko's pleading voice made the boy give in his request.

“Tch.” But the tanned man was calmer now. They informed the others and Imayoshi said he would be available if needed. He also asked about Momoi's conditions and if visits were allowed.

Aomine stayed at Kagami's apartment for another couple of days before returning home.

He went to the hospital almost every day, but Momoi was still sleeping. They said that they had to wait for her to awake on her own, but time passed and he became more and more impatient.

When Momoi regained conscience he ran at the hospital like he had never done. And when visitors were allowed she wanted to see all of them to talk. Though she couldn't really talk yet, since her vocal chords needed more healing. She wrote it all for them. She confirmed it was Hanamiya's doing on her opinion. She never actually saw her aggressor, she had been attacked from behind. Nevertheless she still remembered the person's height, weight and physic, and knowing her capability of gathering data she was most probably right, so Akashi made the police start to search for evidences and to find him.

Unfortunately he was really clever, as predicted, so he went on hide somewhere.

The police could find some evidence thanks to Momoi's deposition and could finally charge him.

Some days after, the police found Haizaki. It seemed the boy was involved in fake documents lately, and some minor crime about money and debts, nothing too serious. Maybe Hanamiya asked him for some job, but something must have been gone wrong somewhere. Haizaki was found dead with his head cut and put in a basket with lemons and oranges inside. Also they found a paper in his throat with the rhyme titled oranges and lemons. It goes like this:

_Oranges and lemons,_  
Say the bells of St. Clement’s.  
You owe me five farthings,  
Say the bells of St. Martin’s.

_Here comes a candle to light you to bed,  
Here comes a chopper to chop off your head._

_Chip chop chip chop  
The last man’s dead!_

His corpse was found not too far away. It was sat on a chair, composed. His hands and feet were tied, and he had burns on his body, some finger broken and some nail extracted. It was obvious that he was tortured before being killed.

The boys weren't particularly attached to Haizaki, but a death like that wasn't funny even for him.

Nothing happened for another week or so. Then they received a call from Akashi saying that Mibuchi had been the subject of an assassination attempt by Hanamiya, who tried to kill him with some corrosive and toxic substance, plus he placed a bomb on him. He was clever enough to know how to make one. Luckily they were in the whereabouts and he was safe, though they had to wait for the bomb disposal squad to do their job before taking the boy to the hospital. The bomb was really well done, the professionals had to work really hard on it.

Mibuchi had to stay at the hospital for some time since he sported serious burn injuries and inhaled some of the toxic substance, so he had problems to his lungs and esophagus. He was also still shocked, he had been awake all the time, drugged with something that made him unable to react, while Hanamiya placed the bomb on him, with that wicked smile of his.

But now, since he had seen Hanamiya, the police had a real reason to hunt him and expanded the area of research, now he was sought after in all the prefecture.

They investigated thoroughly in his life, and they found that he had links with some yakuza who emigrated abroad, but had still some connections in Japan. After that, the police search was massive and they placed some agents in their schools too, just as precaution. Though with this last attempt, was he becoming careless? Or was he changing his modus operandi? He sure knew he was sought after by now...

He attacked Kasamatsu one day, when the boy was alone, planning their college training schedule. He was already a vice captain in his college's team. Kise was late because he had a shot that day, they had an appointment and had decided to meet at Kasamatsu's school. They had to meet for something related to Kasamatsu's training and Kise was more than eager to meet the boy, since he had a crush on his old captain.

Kise received a message from Kasamatsu's phone while walking to the meeting. It was a message with a rhyme:

_London's burning, London's burning :_  
Fetch the engines, fetch the engines.  
Fire, fire! Fire, fire!  
Pour on water! Pour on water!  
  
The blond knew that Kasamatsu started to live alone recently, they remained in contact, since the older boy wanted to try to enter in the show biz as agent, so Kise was helping him. And it was also a way for the blond to still be in contact with his senpai outside school.

He rushed to the meeting but he didn't found him. He asked around and someone said that Ksamatsu probably went home already. But they had agreed to meet at college! Then Kise thought to go see at the boy's house, while calling the others in panic.

When he arrived the house was on fire. He called the firefighters immediately, and without waiting more than few minutes (which for him were hours) he rushed inside without waiting for them, calling the name of his old captain. He finally found Kasamatsu unconscious on the floor and the very same rhyme he received on the phone written on the apartment walls.

Something burning fell on his left side. “Senpai!” He tried to call him, but the boy was still on the floor unconscious. When he managed to reach him, Kise noticed that one arm was burning and tried to extinguish the fire with some piece of fabric he found in an angle. Then he took Kasamatsu and while carrying him outside, tried to wake up the boy, but to no avail. And there was too much smoke, even Kise started to cough.

Thankfully the firefighters came to rescue them some moments later, placing a mask on them and taking them both outside, while the other teens were already there, waiting outside.

“You... idiot!” Started Kagami, hitting him on the head, while Kuroko elbowed the blond on the ribs.

“Ouch! Kagamicchi! Kurokocchi!”

“Kise-kun you scared us!” The little boy had his eyes watery.

“I... sorry...”

“Ryota never do that again.” Akashi said. (he was in Tokyo to talk with the police and see how Momoi was faring) While Midorima just stared at him and Takao was right beside the boy with a worried expression.

The medics checked Kasamatsu to the hospital, while Kise was allowed to go see him once they were sure he was okay.

After the firefighters and police investigated, they discovered that Kasamatsu was knocked out by Hanamiya hitting him on his head making him unconscious, and after that Hanamiya had caused the fire. He had made it so that Kasamatsu would go home to check the apartment, calling him changing his tone of voice and saying there were some strange noises, maybe some robbers had broken in. Hanamiya had forced the door and waited inside for Kasamatsu to enter the apartment. When the boy was inside he was knocked out with something hard on his head and tied up. He was injected with something to keep him calm once he would be awake again, so he wouldn't be able to escape or move. He would be conscious during the fire and be eaten by it. So he wasn't unconscious as they had thought at first, he was awake but unable to move and could only open his eyes, so he had felt the burn on his arm pretty well, but couldn't move, nor he could call for help.

The firefighters had also found the method he used to start the fire.

Fortunately Kasamtsu had only some burned skin (actually they were second and some third grade burnt, but they would heal, even if some scar would still remain) and some cut, but nothing that couldn't heal in a months or two, so he was discharged by doctors some days after, saying to come back for his arm the next week. The most damage was done by the gas and smoke he had inhaled, so he would have to be careful for some time.

Kise was so worried for his senpai that he wanted to stay the night, but he was sent home by Akashi, and Kasamatsu's sister came to help the boy for some days.

Lastly it was Hyuuga's turn to be hurt, but also that time, Kagami and Kuroko, with the policemen, were there in no time and their captain was slightly hurt. Well, he had an arm and some fingers broken, but they would heal just fine.

Still Hanamiya had tried to cut Hyuuga's fingers, saying it was also his fault for making all those three pointers. He couldn't finish the job only because he heard Kagami and the others approaching, so he had to escape fast.

The police went to Hanamiya's home but he wasn't there and his family was shocked to hear their son was a serial killer. They couldn't believe it at first, they protested, saying it was a mistake, a misunderstanding, but in front of all the evidences they couldn't say more, and after having heard the detective's story, the poor woman started to cry and the man didn't really knew what to say anymore.

They searched in his room, and apparently it was a normal teenager one. Apparently. They could find some professional books about anatomy, medicine, pathology, poisons, drugs and other evidence of his previous activity and experimentation about murder, such as some animal's bones. Those were well hidden though.

Hanamiya never returned home after that and every time the police was sure he was in a place the boy seemed to hastily disappear. And when, finally, the police had found him, he was ahead of them again, and escaped abroad.

So it was now work for the Interpol and American forces. Basically, they had lost track of him.

Two month later the boys were in their last days of third year of high school. Kuroko had decided to go to a college in Kyoto and stay with Akashi, it seemed that they started to date, so it was natural for them wanting to be together.

Midorima and Takao wanted to be doctors, and entered the same college, with Takao's delight and Midorima grunting something about having to put up with him all through college.

Kise would continue his career as model and, maybe, become an actor, while Kasamatsu would try to become a good talent agent for Kise's Company.

Kagami and Aomine's dream was to play in the NBA. But, honestly, neither of them were now so eager to do it.

And it was the last week of school, during one of their one on ones, that Aomine told Kagami his decision.

They were at the usual court, tired and sweaty. Aomine sat up on the bench and drank some pokari, Kagami followed him and sat beside the other boy.

“I...” started the tanned teen. “I'm entering the police academy.”

Kagami was silent for a second. “Eh?” Was his shocked response. Aomine didn't look at the other, he was looking at the ground, unable to look at his friend, tense and worried. What if he refused to come with him? Could he still do it alone? The two of them wanted to become pro basketball players, they wanted to go to UCLA. Together. They had already made plans. God they wanted to do so many things... But after what happened, after people died, after friends were hurt and injured, everything changed. Aomine thought for a while about this, about what he wanted to do now, and finally he made up his mind.

“I'm enrolling in the police.” He repeated.

“I heard it the first time.” Then silence descended again.

“Kagami... come with me.” He proposed, now looking at the other boy, hoping.

And he was rewarded, when the other accepted. God only knew why, but Kagami accepted.

 

\--------------------

 

 

 


	4. Kise's problem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it's time to meet Kise and help him with his problem, the man had not changed really much along the years.

**KISE'S PROBLEM**

 

Kuroko searched for everything he could find about Kagami's father, from his birth date and town to what he had for lunch that day, everything could be important. Unfortunately he was not as good as Momoi in gathering and analyzing information, but they had to do with what they could.

And he was also at a good point regarding the mole. He had now some names, all that was remaining was to test those people using some fake information and find the right one. Meanwhile Kagami and Aomine were out meeting Kise, the model was in L.A. again for a new job. Kagami wanted to apologize for what happened some time ago, or better for having completely forgotten about him while he was arguing with Aomine and then going to bed with him.

“Kagamicchi, Aominecchi!” The blond was waving at them with his sparkling blond hair and easy going way, already sat at a table, the place wasn't very crowded, but Kise had already attracted the attention of every person in the coffee shop. They sighed in resignation, saying goodbye to their intention of not being noticed.

Aomine seated in front of the model. “Kise, you're as annoying as always.” Kise sure was still the less subtle person Aomine had ever met and he was painflully aware that people were still staring at them.

“You're mean Aominecchi!” Kise whined. “We didn't see each other for years and the first thing you say is this? I'm so hurt!”

“Tch. Why are you even in the States anyway?”

“I'm playing in a movie-ssu! Kagamicchi I'm so excited!” The blond just continued his train of thought, not letting Aomine complain nor comment.

They talked about the movie, and then they remembered their past. Kise couldn't believe at first that the two aces wanted to enroll in the police, he thought it was a joke. Until they did it for real. And after some time they went abroad and entered the SWAT squad. Kise was amazed when Kagami had told him, they were an elite team in America. He was so proud of his friends, but also worried, their job was a dangerous one.

“How are you doing? You're still in the SWAT?”

“You told him? I can't believe you!” Aomine protested.

“Idiot, I was always in contact with him, it was normal telling him.”

Kise observed the two men in front of him. They were still bickering for everything, like back then, but they seemed.... happy, and Aomine was more open and sweet.

“Aominecchi you're changed.”

“Aah? What do you mean?”

“You seem... happy?”

Kise, contrary of what people thought, was observant, (he needed to be if he wanted to be a good actor) and didn't fail to see Kagami's slightly red cheeks and Aomine's embarrassed face, even if the tanned man was trying to cover his emotional state insulting him and denying everything.

“I don't know what you are talking about.”

But Kagami wanted Kise to know. He knew Kagami's feelings for Aomine, they had talked about his supposed unrequited love for Aomine along the years. They had often talked about the blonde’s relationship with Kasamatsu too, they had become close friends, supporting each other more than Kagami had thought would be possible years before. So it was only fair telling him.

“We... well... we're together now.” The red head said, embarrassed.

“Oh? Finally! It was time-ssu!!!” Kise clapped his hands, smiling. “I'm so happy for you Kagamicchi!! You'll have to tell me everything!”

But Aomine wasn't happy it was Kagami that announced it. “I was going to say it, Bakagami!”

“Well I said it first. Now behave.”

“Tch.”

After some other bickering and conversation Kagami asked about Kasamatsu.

“How are you two doing?”

“he... is still cold. I really don't know what to do. And that's one of the reasons I accepted this job. So that I can cool down a bit.”

“Maybe I can call him and see what I can do.”

“You're sure, Kagamicchi? You'll do it?” Kise's was really happy his friend was willing to help him.  
“Yeah, I'll try to understand what he's thinking. I can't promise anything though.”  
Aomine didn't understand anything the two were talking about. “Wait, what that senpai of yours have to do with you?”

Kagami sighed. “They're dating since high school, Aomine.” Everyone had noticed those two's feelings but Aomine, so shouldn't be a surprise he still didn't knew.

Aomine's eyes went wide with surprise. “Really? But didn't he hit him every time?”

“That was before. They started to live together after the accident with Hanamiya. I mean, after he burned Kasamatsu's apartment.” It didn't happen right away, but at a certain point Kise had found the courage to talk with his senpai about his feelings, and some time after they started to date. Kasamatsu was still living in the dormitory. Since he had no house at the moment, so the two had decided to find a place together.

“But lately he is being cold and do not want to explain why to him.” Kagami continued. “That's why Kise is worried. I thought they were okay by now, but it seem the situation didn't change these last weeks.”  
“Maybe he wants to break up.”

“Aominecchiiii, don't say it, I don't want to hear it!” Kise started to cry.

Kagami hit Aomine on his head. “Look what you've done, idiot!” It took some time for Kagami to calm the blond, and Aomine tried, on his own way, to say he was sorry, but still thought that being cold maybe it really meant that Kasamatsu was fed up of Kise's whining.

“I'll call him when I'll have enough time and see what I can do.” The red head was saying. “So for now think about your work, okay?”

“Thank you Kagamicchi.” The boy stopped to cry, but he wasn't as cheerful as he always was, for obvious reasons. They spent the rest of the evening more quietly, enjoying the company, and changing place.

They went to a club and had some drinks, Kise being the one who drank more, while the other two had just some beer. When they left, the blond actor seemed in a little more good mood. Or maybe it was just the alcohol in his system.

“So those two?” Aomine was still abashed, back in their home.

“You never realized?”

“At the time I had other things in my head.” The tanned man said planting a kiss on his lover's neck.

“What things?”

“Now think only about me, Tiger.”

“Don' call me tha...aaahhhh” Aomine's smirk widened listening his Taiga moan under his touch, biting his lover's neck.

He wanted to see every expression his lover could make when he was making love to him, he wanted to hear every moan, every breath the man could do under him, every word he could say. They were finally together, and he didn't want to miss anything, he didn't want this happiness to stop.

And after sex he spooned his lover. He was never one to cuddle, but things changes, right? Besides he had this urge only with Kagami.

He really didn't want to let him go now that the other was finally his. _Shit, I'm becoming sappy_.

“Why I am always the little spoon Aomine?” Kagami protested.

“Because I am the one making love to you.”

“So... when I'm making love to you I'll be the big spoon?”  
“Ahh? Who said you could?”  
“What? Being the big spoon or..”  
“Fine! You can be the big spoon. Sometime.” Aomine said, face on fire, interrupting Kagami's speech. It wasn't that he didn't want to switch sometime, it was just too embarrassing to think about Kagami making love to him for change. But... it wasn't unpleasant to think about it, maybe they'll do it in the future.

“Daiki, Akashi knows.”

“I'm not surprised. That man always knows everything.”

“I... asked for his help.” That was knew. Aomine knew that the other, as well as him, was a prideful man, and normally wanted to do things by himself. Even in the past.

“Why?”

“I...” The red head's face and ears color now rivaled his hair. “Don't want to lose you. Not now. So... I have to do something about the situation. And he may be of some help.” Well, even Aomine thought Akashi could help, the man still had a lot of connections.

“We'll do it together.” Aomine tightened his grip on the others waist.

“I have to learn about finance and other things too.”

“Why? I thought you didn't want to be a heir.” He planted a kiss on his lover's shoulder.

“I don't. But Akashi is right, maybe I can't totally avoid the deal.”

“Can you do it? I mean, that seem to be some complicated shit.” The tanned man was skeptical, knowing the two of them weren't made for study even in high school. They were both practical people suited for sports, not for academic matters.

“I'll do it. Somehow. And Akashi offered, well he ordered me to study it and said that he will tutor me.”

“Ah! I can picture him making you study with a pair of scissor in his hand.”

“Ahh don't make me remember that!”

“Well he's the head of the Akashi family, he has to know of those things. And he is actually a good teacher.”

Kagami eyed the tanned man quizzically.

“He... well he tutored us at Teiko. You know my grades were never good and all.”

“I see. I hope it will not be like Riko's lessons for my exams. She didn't let me sleep or play basketball.”

“I'm more worried about Akashi's patience.” Aomine joked and was hit in the gut by a pissed Kagami, but the red head was smiling.

“Kagami...” Aomine called after a while. “ Next day off... would you make love to me?”

Kagami turned to look at Aomine with wide eyes. “Are... you… I mean, are you sure you want me... I thought...” Kagami had always thought that Aomine wanted always have control, but hearing him say that, it meant that, at least, he had thought to let someone else take control for once. And it meant that he was ready to let Kagami see a more deep and intimate part of him, it meant he trusted Kagami enough to take their relationship even more seriously.

“It's fine. I want us to try.... once.” Aomine had thought about this for two whole days, he felt that they needed this, the both of them. To Kagami it would be meaning that Aomine was really and completely his, and for him was a way to convey his feelings to Kagami.

“I... Uh, yes! I'll do it!”

“Don't be so excited now.”

“Well, I am. I never thought you would want to try to switch.”  
“I said once.”  
“I'll be so good that you'll want again!”  
“We'll see about that.” They were both smiling.  
Their next days passed like usual, with training, missions and Kagami's lessons with Akashi that left him dead tired at the end of the day.  
“We know who the mole is.” Said Kuroko one day during a private meeting, only their team was present. “And we have a plan to deal with him and his accomplices.”

“So? Who is it? What's the plan?” Aomine was the first to ask.  
“False information, false missions, bugs and some other things.” Akashi explained them the plan. It was simple but no one doubted its success.

“After we deal with that we'll be independent. I have everything ready and good backups.”

Aomine smirked. “So we're really doing it.” But it was okay, Akashi was doing it for them all, and if he could stay with his boyfriend then he would not object.

The day after Kagami called Kasamatsu. He had promised Kise he would try to help and he really wanted to.

“Kagami? It's been a while! How are you?”

“Fine. I'm still alive.”

“Eh, your job is really dangerous. I really didn’t think you would be in the police instead of the NBA. I still think it was a pity, you were good enough to be drafted.”

“You know, shit happened.”  
“Yeah... I remember too well. I still have problems with fire. Anyway, you needed something?”

“Actually... I am worried about you two.” And it was obvious that for 'you two' the red head meant Kasamatsu and Kise.

The other sighed. “So you saw him? Is he... all right?”

“If you ask me why don't you call him?”

“We fought. Again.”

“He loves you, you know?”

“I know... It's only...”

“Kasamatsu-san, do you still love him?” After having said that the red head wanted to die from shame. “I mean... Kise said you were cold with him. He fears you want to break up.”

“I.... AAHHH! I was thinking and I didn't knew how to talk with him about something, but he misunderstood and I was too tense and then we had an argument. From that moment everything went down the hill.”

“So you... I mean you still...”  
“Yeah I still love him.”

“Thanks God! Now call him, he looks like shit these days. And he thinks you want to break up and he starts to cry every time we talk about you.”

“I never said I want to break up!”  
“But you were cold with him. What do you think he would make of it?”  
“I wanted... fine! I wanted to ask him to... marry me. Even if in Japan is not legal, we can do it in America.”

Kagami blushed hearing Kasamatsu's confession. Maybe one day he and Aomine.... _No Taiga, don't think about it now_! _You still have other problems ahead._

“Well, I think he will be overjoyed to hear it.”

“You think so? I couldn't find the right time to ask him and we started to fight before I could do it.

And now he's in America for the movie.” Kasamatsu was still hesitant.

“Fine, I'll call him. But I can't ask him on the phone.” The man sighed.

“Well, at least talk to him”  
“I'll try.” Kasamatsu said.” Though I don't know when I can actually meet him. With my job and other things I don't know when I can take a plane. Maybe I should just wait of him to come back...”  
“You really want to wait for all those months?”  
The man on the other side of the phone sighed again. “No.” he said in the end. “But It's not so easy to leave and come to America. I'll think about something. But... If he accepts you will be invited.”

“We'll be glad to be there.” And with that they bid farewell.   
When he informed Aomine the man said. “Good, so then he will stop whining and crying. Wait they're getting married??” And seeing his boyfriend's reaction Kagami started to laugh.

“Stop laughing!” Aomine protested.

“AAHAHAH you should see your face!” But soon his mouth was silenced by a pair of lips.

“Ahh Taiga.” The tanned man voice was low and husky. _Shit that voice is illegal!_ That voice always managed to go straight to Kagami's crotch liven it. And the bastard knew it if the smirk he was showing was an indication. They kissed again, more deeply and their passion ignited.

“Bed.” Was the only word they could muster and they didn't got there without Kagami's crushing on the wall with Aomine's mouth on his neck and a hand on his ass.

Now, sated, they were in their bed, Kagami's head on Aomine's torso and a tanned arm was hugging the red head.

Aomine started to talk. “Ya know, it's not a bad idea.”

“What?”

“When our problems will be solved. We can do it.”  
“Daiki if you don't say what are you talking about I can't understand.” The red head was observing the other man, his cheeks were red and it was weird for him to be so embarrassed after what they had done until moments before, but being like this, just cuddling, with his lover, was also still strange.

“I mean... the marrying thing.”

“A-ah. Ahh?? Are you saying... I mean...” Okay now Kagami was sure he was blushing too, feeling his cheeks so warm.  
“Yeah...” Kagami's face and ears were the same color of his head.

“Ah... it's...”  
“Don't freak out Taiga, we have time.”

“Yeah.”  
But Kagami was happy nonetheless.

 

\-----------------------------

 

 

 

 

 


	5. The visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, Kagami's father has finnally found his son, and new troubles are waiting our two lovebirds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short chapter I know, but the next one will be longer and we'll meet Kagami's father.

**THE VISIT**

 

In three days the operation “Trap the mole” began.

A false mission was given and the mole leaked the information to his accomplices. And they told other people.

Kuroko followed their traces, tracked phones, mobiles, computers and signaled the places and names to his team.

They detected some other dangers placed against them where they would have to raid for their supposed operation. But they weren't there for that, so the bombs and the likes were dismissed by the professional teams they sent, while they tracked the mole and their accomplices.

They arrested more or less ten people with the mole. Some of them were policemen that passed the wall and were now working with some gangsters. Some others were high ranked agents, unsuspected government people, politicians too. So their betrayal had some effects in the higher up ranks and it had shaken quite a lot of things in the whole police force and government itself.

Some of the men were also just normal officers that didn't know about all of that and th ey thought  they were working for the 'good ones”. 

A lot of changes were done, a lot of people had been discovered later to be part of the same organization that wanted them dead. A lot of heads were cut off and new people were placed in strategic places, some of them were Akashi's men or related to him in some ways.

After that operation was done, their team became a private organization. They could handle either mission they were interested in or missions assigned from the government, if they wanted to. They  had n o obligation to accept something, and they could work on every case they wanted, with plain jurisdiction over every other forces. No restrictive information either. They had full access to CIA and NSA documentation (with the respective agencies not really happy to share them,  but the order they had was from the vice president and they could not refuse). They had priority over everyone else in all the States, and sometime out of the Country too. 

Their missions now were supported with the newest equipment, with new  kevlar bulletproof jackets, and the addition of Izuki was huge, the man was clever and knew what to do. 

During a mission they tracked a weapon traffic directed in Iraq and blocked it successfully.

Another  one was to deal with terrorists and other mafia traffics and with spy network  as well. They had more undercover operations as well, those were the most difficult ones.

Once they had to rescue some hostages, and in that particular mission Izuki was really good at negotiation, even though, in the end, they had to enter the place and kill the criminals.

Drug dealers were a joke now, they had to deal with more dangerous people, weapon traffics were almost daily routine, they once had to stop a trade of some radioactive element for bombs called cobalt – 60, and another time they stopped a trade for some polonium 210.

Their daily routine was full of missions, and they were already used to work with each other as a real team. Besides Izuki, with his eagle eye, saved their ass tons of times already.

This was the kind of job Kagami and Aomine wanted all along, and they, finally, had found their ideal team. Everything was going just fine and they were starting to think that everything would be  all right. But life isn't that forgiving.

One day Kagami was returning home alone from his usual lesson of finance, he was tired as hell.

Akashi was making him study a lot lately, since as promised he was tutoring the former SWAT member in everything he would need once he would be the head of Kagami's father Company, and it was really complicated shit. He was never one really good at studying, his grades were always bad and the subjects he had to study now were no joke, so it was utterly tiring.

A man in a black suit approached him and Kagami was suspicious enough already. Though he wasn't well built,  he was actually a man in his late fifties , thin and insecure, Kagami  could see it  from his way of approaching him.

“Mr. Kagami?

“It depends.”

“Your father sent me.”

_Shit! He found me at last._

“If it's something long you better follow me, I'm tired and I don't wanna deal with all this here.”

It was true that he was tired, but he didn't want to hear what the man had to tell, and anyway, Aomine had the right to hear it too, Kagami didn't want to keep more secrets now, not to him, so better let the man explain to them both.

“I'm home.” He said once entered the apartment, taking off his shoes.

“Welcome back.” Aomine shouted from the other room. When he emerged he was dressed in loose pants and a blue t-shirt.

“Who are you?” The blue eyed man asked the intruder behind his lover.

“I'm...” The man was overwhelmed by Aomine's inquisitive tone, his lean figure shaking, he was doing a sedentary job and wasn't used to someone like that and was terrified.  
Kagami was the one to explain. “He's from my father.” Aomine froze.

Kagami then, decided it was his turn to ask questions. “Now what does he wants? And how he knows where we live” The red head asked with iced voice.

“Well...” The man was clearly intimidated and frightened by the two men in front of him and neither of them cared.

“Wait, how did he knew where to find us?” Aomine asked.

“That's what I just asked idiot!”

The poor man didn't knew what to do anymore. “Uh well... that... I really don't know. You have to ask him personally. I'm... I was just sent here to... he wants to see his son and... he then have to take the company... he said.” The man gave Kagami a paper with a number, saying to contact his father there.

Kagami sighed.

“I still have two years at least. He's not that old yet.”

“I don't know about it, he only said he needs you to do it now.”

“I have to ask for a permission at work. And I only will go to see him. Tell him that.” Kagami said.

His voice was icy and too similar of Akashi's ordering tone for Aomine's liking. Was the bastard teaching his boyfriend those things too?

“I will let him know when I have time to see him. I don't have other things to say. Now get out of here.” The man exited almost running.

“Tch.” Aomine snorted.

“I have to call Akashi about this.”

“Wait Taiga. I will go with you. To see your father I mean.” Kagami was silent for a moment, thinking, then nodded.

Once informed about the situation Akashi said that Kagami made the right decision, but he would instruct him how to do things and also what he and Aomine would have to do next.

They had to be careful and Akashi would also do his part.

Also, the man shouldn't be able to know where to find them, so they would look into that, since it seemed some information had been leaked again.

In two days Akashi had a meeting with Kagami's father and made his move. And the man was not happy about it, but couldn't risk and make the Akashi family his enemy and he knew that pretty well. The Akashi's famil y owned  an empire, they not only were important in Japan, but they owned huge companies in the States too.

Kuroko had all the meeting registered for la ter use if needed.

Akashi's smile widened wickedly. He knew who leaked the information to Kagami's father and he would have the man removed in a week placing some man he knew in his stead. This was more useful than he had thought.

Now was up to the other two.

 

\-----------------------

 

 

 


	6. Mibuchi's view

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mibuchi reflects upon things in his own way

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt that Mibuchi needed to tell his point of view about things, so yeah, this is what he thinks.

**MIBUCHI'S VIEW**

“What? Kagami and Aomine will not be here? Why?” Izuki and Mibuchi asked. They were their team leaders, so no mission could be done without them, and, also, Mibuchi didn't want to admit it in front of the others, but the two of them made him feel safe during missions and they saved his ass plenty by now. 

That was why the fact that the two idiots would not be at work for some days was not a welcome thing, at least for him.

During all those months they had worked together he had already considered them friends, strange how things changes along the years. 

They were playing against each other in high school, and he didn't particularly liked them. But now, working with them, he could see how good the y were, and how caring Kagami was towards all the squad . He still bring food for them sometimes, and no one complained, because it was always really delicious. 

Mibuchi, sometimes, had thought that the man, maybe, should have been a chef instead, but he was a really good detective too, one their team couldn't be without.

Mibuchi had trusted Akashi all these years, he had followed him all the way to America, and he had never regretted it. The man was always pretty capable, even in high school, as their team captain. 

They stayed in contact even after, during college, which Akashi ended one year earlier (he was always clever anyway) and when Akashi announced he was entering the police and intended to become a detective they were all surprised. He was already the head of the Akashi's Corporation, and he was working at the Company since he was in high school. So no one expected him to change his job. However he made it clear that he wouldn't leave his actual job, not completely at least, he would just add one to the list, and knowing him, he would succeed. 

He asked them if they wanted to join him, and they accepted. The man had good links and they were all sent to work in the States. 

At first they were just some unknown rookies, they had to make experience. But soon enough Akashi could set up his own team. He made them transfer to his unit, and when they saw Kuroko there too it was a real shock. Sure the two were dating, but Mibuchi didn't knew the man was also training, the two had kept it secret to everyone. 

Of all the people, Kuroko was the last he would have thought to see working in a  police unit. He had lost everything back then. Kuroko's parents were brutally murdered by Hanamiya, and he had been diagnosed PTSD, so he should lead a quiet life. That was why seeing him there, in their unit, wasn't something Mibuchi had expected. But despite everything that happened to the man, it seem that Kuroko could handle things pretty well. 

As always Akashi had made a good choice, he always knew how to do things and how to help people use their talents, and that time was no exception.

Later, their captain announced that he was also making Aomine and Kagami transfer to their unit,  they were alre ady aware the two were working in the best SWAT unit of the town. The two men were famous enough for e very policeman  to know. Though, on ly by working together they  could see how good they really were. Those two, despite their constant bickering, were responsible and trustworthy partners, they could make yo u feel safe even when you were seriously risking your life.

In some months all of them became more like a little family, always being together in dangerous missions,  and after work , they often went to drink together. 

It was during one of those days that Mibuchi started to notice Kagami's longing expression when he was thinking Aomine couldn't see him. He and Kagami started to bond lately, and one day they started to talk in front of some beer. He had told the man about his unrequited love and Kagami had confessed he was in love with Aomine. 

How could he live (and not become crazy) all this time with his secret crush was beyond Mibuchi. Moreover Aomine seemed to be totally straight and never noticed. Plus, Kagami didn't want their friendship to end, so he was stuck there, between his love for Aomine and his fear of losing their friendship. It was not a relaxing situation for sure. Compared to that, Mibuchi's own situation was better, since he couldn't claim a real friendship with his love interest.

They both needed to give up though, so they decided to go on some double date and see if they could get over their respective crushes. 

Mibuchi could, at least, try to date someone again, but Kagami couldn't. He tried, but everyone he met seem not be interesting enough for Kagami. He was always comparing them with Aomine.

The only one that could sparkle something was one firefighter. He sure was hot, black hair, brown eyes, really well built. He was sociable and open. They met some times and had even made out a bit one night. Though, Kagami did never called him again. Clearly Kagami wasn't ready to get over Aomine yet. Even with that policeman, the one that came for a swimming race, they just behaved like friends.

And if living with Aomine wasn't enough, Kagami was also cleaning the apartment, doing the laundry for the both of them and cooking for Aomine. Was he a friend or a mother?

Seriously, Kagami could just move out that apartment and stop baby sit his friend, and maybe he could live his own life.

And that wasn't all. Aomine, lately, was blunt and on edge for some reason every time Kagami was mentioned. But as far as Mibuchi knew, they weren't fighting, so why Aomine was so nervous? 

One time he actually came to talk to Mibuchi during working hours.

He was compiling a report, which was already boring and all, he didn't really need someone interrupting him, and Aomine came onto him like as storm, asking who Kagami was seeing, like he owed the man an answer.

“Why do you ask me? Ask him.” Was Mibuchi's irritated answer, not even raising his eyes from the sheets he was writing.  
“If I could do it I would already have done it.”

Mibuchi rose his eyes to look at the man, and if he wasn't sure the man was straight, h e would think Aomine was somehow jealous.

“Maybe it's his private life? He has the right to hook up sometimes if he wants to.” Aomine, then, seemed annoyed. And worried. So was he worried Kagami would choose a bad partner? Or was it something else? Whatever the answer was, Kagami was a grown up man, he knew how to look after himself, and sure he knew how to handle people, he didn't need help.  
“I... I know that! Fine don't tell me!” After that Aomine stormed outside, not happy at all.

It was only some time after that as always Kuroko noticed before everyone else, that the two were now together.

Well, maybe the dating strategy had worked for Kagami too in some way, since now he was finally dating Aomine. The man wasn't so straight as they had thought after all.

They seemed happy, and he was happy for them, really. He was just hoping this would not affect their job. Especially now that their presence was really important, with the mole operation and Hanamiya still out there. 

Akashi had said their absence was due to something personal, he could only trust the man and his friends about it, and wait for them to come back.

 

\-------------------

 

 

 

 


	7. Kagami's bitter victory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagami and Aomine meet Kagami's father, and Aomine, just seeing the man, already dislike him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For valentin'es day here a new chapter!  
> Here we are. Finally they meet Kagami's father, and it's not a pleasant reunion.  
> I hope you'll like this chapter :P

**KAGAMI'S BITTER VICTORY**

 

“What? Kagami and Aomine will not be here? Why?” Izuki and Mibuchi asked.

“They have some issues to take care.” Kuroko answered. “And in conformity with Akashi, they may be needing our assistance according to the circumstances. Also we don't have missions scheduled these days, so you can relax, you will not be sent on missions without them.”

“So they're on a mission?”

“Personal.” Akashi interrupted them, entering the office.

“If it's personal...”

“It may become something we have to deal with, I will let you know possibly. Be on standby just in case. Tetsuya...” He now was looking at his boyfriend. “The bugs are placed I presume.”

“Yes, Akashi-kun.”

“Fine then.” _Now it's their play_. The two men should be there at the moment.

Kagami and Aomine went to see the red head's father.

It required them some time to set up everything though. And, following Akashi's schedule, they were in front of Kagami's father office at the set time.

\-------

 

The two men were nervous. Kagami was fidgeting in front of the door, while Aomine was musing, thinking if the red head was raised there, and how was his father, why he had never heard anything about his mother.

“Hey Bakagami, you'll be fine. Akashi will help us.” Aomine kissed him lightly on the lips.

“Fine, I'm ready.” Kagami nodded and opened the door.

They entered a huge room. There was a library that took up two walls filled with books. The pavement was in fine wood. There were some paintings on the walls, Aomine didn't even tried to guess who the author was, but he was sure they were authentic and expensive. As expected from the CEO of a huge Company, even this place was luxurious: in fact it wasn't the Company office, but another one in a “little” apartment owned by the family, not even the main one. Aomine couldn't even think how fancy that one would be, and it wasn't the right time to do it anyway, their attention was all for what they needed to do now. In Aomine's case to support his lover as much as he could.  
A huge window was on the left and the sun was still illuminating the room. There was a desk, placed near one of the walls covered with part of the library -filled with hard covered expensive books-, with two green velvety chairs in the front while behind it sat a man.

He was muscular, with a little beard adorning his face and brown hair on his head. He looked to be well in his fifties.

Aomine had always thought Kagami's father was red headed. Was his mother then?

The man's expression seemed disappointed, though showed a wry smile, as if he was thinking he had already won this match no matter what his son would try.

And Aomine instantly loathed him.

“It's good to see you, Taiga.” The man greeted.

“Not the same for me.”

“Oh don't be upset. You knew this day would come. Anyway, I wish to speak with you alone.” The man looked at Aomine as if he was a cockroach and Aomine was already disgusted enough. “So your friend may leave.”

“He will stay here. I have nothing to hide from him.” Kagami spoke with authority, and as much as Aomine wanted to deny it, he really seemed a heir at the moment, and really too similar to Akashi, but this time he liked it, since it upset the man in front of them.

The man was now looking straight at Aomine not pleased at all by his son's words, his expression clearly saying “leave little shit”. But the boy didn't lower his gaze. “I will stay beside Taiga. If you have something to say, you can say it with me here.”

The man was clearly distressed “Taiga, what's this?”  
“Just that he will stay, so say what you have to say and we can end this. I have no time to waste.”

The man looked again at Aomine, clearly scanning him and judging he wasn't worthy of his son's company. “What happen to be your name?”

“I didn't hear yours either. Isn't it customary introduce yourself before asking for someone else's?”

“Daiki stop it now!”

“I don't like him Taiga. And he's not polite.”

“That's not the point now, idiot!”

Mr Kagami coughed and successfully had the attention of the two men back to him.

“Your time is up, Taiga. You will return in a month and...”

“Wait!” The red head interrupted. “I thought I had two other years.”

“Yes, before you'll be able to guide the Company. I'm still the head of the family and will guide you throu...”

“No, you're not.”

“What did you say?”

“First of all I will not leave my job.”

“I admit you went far for a policeman. But it's time you stop fooling around.”

Aomine snapped. “Wait a freaking moment, we are in the SWAT, do you know how important and dangerous is, old man? We're not fooling around!”

The man went wide eyed and Kagami was triumphant. His little trick worked if his father didn't knew. “Is it true, Taiga? The SWAT?”

“Yes. And I also was shot some times, and we were almost blown up by a bomb once.” He said, sure to see his father pale, and he succeeded. “Want to see a scar? Oh I have plenty of them.”

The man started to fidget. “Then even more so you'll resign immediately. That kind of job is too dangerous.”

“As I already said I will not leave my job.” The red head straightened himself now. Akashi had instructed him enough for this day to come. “When you will sign my papers and contracts...” He showed the envelope he was holding in his hand, “ You will resign from the company and have no more to do with it. You also will leave the head of the family to me. And never again interfere with my life. Never again. You have no right to tell me what to do and what kind of job I have to do.” He dropped the envelope on the desk.

“Are you out of your mind, Taiga?”

“I have never been more sane.”

“I can force you to do as I say, son. Do you want it?”

“Can you?” Aomine inquired. “Cause last I checked WE are the law. And you can be persecuted for abandoning a minor, forcing him to live by himself, coercing him (though it was already a prescribed crime, but the man didn't need to know that) and threatening a police officer and a government agent of the Unites States and I could add other two or three charges. Also you seem having obtained information of high secrecy level that you shouldn't have known, which can be considered treason, and that is another charge added on you. You could be in prison and never see the light again.”

“What... are you kidding?”

But Aomine's expression was dead serious. “And we already know who leaked the information and we'll have him removed from his spot in about a week.” Kagami added, nodding.

“You don't have the power to...”

“We have. Go talk with your friends of the government offices. And I believe Akashi could vouch for us too.” At the last words the man paled again. “And don't even try to deny your connection, because we already know everything about them.”

“And just so you know,” Added Kagami, “Akashi and I had known each other for years already. So don't step overboard, father.” After silencing the older man he turned towards Aomine. “Time to go home, now.” He said to his boyfriend.

“Yeah.” They turned to leave.

“We'll be waiting for the documents signed. Me and Akashi that is.” The red head said before stepping out of the door, satisfaction on his face.

For the first time in years he was not afraid to confront his father. Aomine was with him, and Akashi was backing them up. He lost his father at seventeen, so he was not really sad at losing him again, but now he could write “case over” on that cardboard box, even if he would have to deal with his father's company now.

“Kuroko?” Kagami asked through the microphone once he was out of the office.  
“He's calling the head chief of the NSA office, so he will know we have the power to charge him for everything. And also put him in a cell and lose the key since our authority is way above his.”

“Good.”

“We will also know who leaked the information about you and your whereabouts and they will be arrested in two days with the one who leaked the info to him. We are a secret task force. And only someone with pretty high authorization can have information about us. That person would be charged of treason.” The man continued. “According to Akashi-kun your father will sign the documents soon enough.”  
“Basically as we are now we will live under cover from now on.” Aomine stated.

“Yes, that is basically correct, Aomine-kun.”

And that was why taking the lead of the Company would be convenient for Kagami. No one would suspect him to be a spy or a secret agent.

Meanwhile the man behind the door was talking with some other man in the government offices asking for information, and he was confident he would have them in some hours. But the day after he received some unexpected answers.

“I am sorry, it seems my authorizations are too low for that. I'll ask someone I know.”

“What? How is that possible?”

“Maybe they can access the files. I'll let you know.” But some days later the man said that all files about Kagami Taiga seemed never existing or they were classified and he was said that he would be persecuted if he tried to find more, because that was something related to “National security”. “Also I was... well they gave me some days to take care of things before taking me to prison.”

In other words Kagami Taiga was directly under the government protection or something along the lines, or maybe more if even the head of the NSA couldn't access his data... and so he couldn't do anything to make his son see reason.

Kagami's father was dumbfounded about those news: his son was not a normal policeman, he was something more important if even his friends couldn't access information about the boy and was charged for having given information to him. Also, he was informed that some of his other acquaintances had already been charged too.

Moreover he had no choices, and Akashi knew.

That was why he was so confident when he met his son. Damn! That little sly fox was so clever.

How the two did even meet anyway? How much power Akashi really had?

He finished to sign the papers with a sigh and closed the envelope. He would send it the next morning through his lawyers.

He lost, the man thought. His son was now so powerful that he could not reach him anymore. He wanted him to be his heir, he had done everything to assure that. He wanted to protect his son's future, so he could become his heir and one day marry a good wife and follow his footsteps.

He was convinced that his son was only protesting like any other seventeen years old when he said he didn't want to follow his path, and with time he would come back to him.

He had thought that being a basketball player was just a whim and he would give up soon enough.

He had thought to give him some years, maybe also allow him to play his beloved basketball, and after, he would be more eager to return by his side.

He had thought that not giving him anything (basically disinheriting him) when he wanted to disappoint his father more, suddenly saying he wanted to enter the police force, would make him come back begging for help, unable to go on by himself, but he had never done it. Instead he had found a job and moved in a popular quarter.

His son had matured fast and grew up, alone.

He had done his choices and lived his life as he pleased, and his father he didn't even knew what happened to him in those twelve years they didn't met.

He still didn't knew why the heir of the Kagami family changed his mind and suddenly wanted so badly to enter the police, giving up his dream in the NBA, he never asked his son.

He had never looked into it. And Taiga never told him more than few things about basketball and other things of no importance. Where did he went wrong?

All he knew was that, at first, his son was so into basketball that he wanted to go to UCLA and become a NBA player. He had already made plans to go there and then, he suddenly decided to refuse the scholarship and instead entered the police academy, as if something happened and he had changed his mind.

At the time he had thought it was something temporary. But the boy went on and really entered the police force and he was in the SWAT, one of the most dangerous jobs he could find. Was it an act in spite towards him? Or was it really what he wanted to do?

And the boy's eyes when he saw him again that day were the eyes of a man. A man that saw things his father would never saw. They were the eyes of a man that saw people suffer, people kill, eyes that saw a lot of violence. His son had been in danger, had risked his life multiple times doing his job.

His son became a dangerous man himself.

“How could it become like this?” He asked to himself.

And how did his son met with Akashi? That man was so difficult to deal with, and too much clever and was always planning something. How Taiga managed to have Akashi back him up? His own son beat him also in that aspect it seemed.

And what was worse, that evening he had an appointment with his ex-wife, Taiga's mother.

How could he see her in this state of mind? They divorced because she didn't agree with him about their son’s education, she wanted Taiga to choose what he wanted to become, while he wanted to raise him as his heir from the start.

In the end she lost to him for the custody case of their son, and had to stay away from him or she would be persecuted.

But she said she was always looking after her son from afar, refusing to say anything to her ex-husband about his life and whereabouts.

And she was cunning, she always managed to make him talk about his decisions.

She would see through him this time too. And would know what happened.

And Taiga had taken over her in every aspect. He was tenacious, stubborn, always trying to go against him, and now he was also as good as his mother to find allies and using his connections well enough to win over him. His son resembled his mother every day more.

 

\---------------------

 

 

 


	8. Hanamiya?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagami starts to work as businessman, but what will happen from now on? And he doesn't know yet, but he will soon see an old acquaintance...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it, the beginning of this new arc, the final stage of their battle is near...

**HANAMIYA?**

Kagami received the documents saying he was now the head of the Kagami family and the CEO of the Company. His father still owned the mansion and the apartments though, so he wasn't left with nothing, but everything related to the Company had been transferred to him.

Akashi gave him some days to adjust everything. He went to the Company offices to meet his co-workers and establish himself as the new CEO.

Obviously not everyone was happy about the change. Especially the old employees that were working there for a long time. He could understand that the change was making them uncomfortable, after all he was a young inexperienced man, and he would do things differently, while his father had been there for at least 20 years. And the tables turned quite suddenly too.

Aomine was with him, officially as his bodyguard, he was astonished by his lover's capabilities and also a little terrified, because he was behaving not only like a competent businessman, but he was so similar to Akashi that it was almost alarming.

They were in Kagami's new office now, alone. It wasn't the first day they were there, but Aomine was still impressed by the professionalism Kagami was showing. He was always good as a policeman, but now he was also good at managing the office work.

He was almost a whole different individual. And frankly, in Aomine opinion, that was a bit scary.

The red head was looking at some papers oblivious to Aomine's internal turmoil.

“What is it, Daiki?” Or so Aomine had thought.

“Nothing.”

“I can see you, what's up?”

“It's... you seemed... Akashi.”

“Ah? I'm not like him!” The red head protested.

“But you seemed like him! You were... competent... and scary...” S _hit, this is so embarrassing_! He looked out of the window, hoping that Kagami wouldn't notice how he was feeling.

“Was that a compliment?”

“Uhm... More or less.” The red head rose his head and looked at the other man. Their gazes met.

“You know I had no choice.”

“I know. It's only that I can't help you.”

“You're here.”

“That's not enough!”

Kagami sighed. He knew what Aomine meant. If things were reversed he would feel useless too. “We'll find something.” He said. “But I'm afraid you'll need to study for that.”

The other snorted. They both knew Amine hated to study.

“Even if you want to be my personal secretary...” He smirked at the implications “you'll need to study how to do it correctly. This is a big Company you know.”

“Fine.” Aomine only said, and Kagami couldn't believe his boyfriend. Was he really willing to study? He expected the man to snort and protest he wasn't a cute little girl and studying was too tiring, but instead the man just accepted the idea??? And what was that red tinge on his cheeks??? _Oh my god, he's blushing??? Really?? They swapped him_ _with someone else, where's the real Aomine?_

But just when he was opening his mouth to make some joke about it, the secretary, the real one, entered the office and gave him a lot of documents, a mug of coffee and other things with a little smile. And it was obvious that she wanted to make a good impression on her new boss.

“She's annoying.” Aomine said after she was out of the door.

“Daiki she's my secretary.”

“Didn't you see how she was looking at you?” Kagami stopped what he was doing, putting the papers on the desk in front of him and looked at his lover, now curious.

“No, how?” He perfectly knew, but wanted to hear what Aomine would say.

“Like you're a fucking piece of cake and she wanted to eat you!”

“Oh come on Daiki.”

“She wants to be noticed and fucked by you.”

“And you know it for sure.”

“Taiga, I had enough stories to be certain... You really didn't notice the way she was looking at you? And she barges here with every excuse she can find!”

Kagami was enjoying his lover's jealousy. “Taiga why are you smiling??”  
“I think I will keep her after all.”  
“What?? No way, fire her!”

Kagami couldn't hold it anymore. “Ahahaahahah, Daiki you're so jealous.”

“You.... Shit, Taiga.” The man had just realized Kagami knew all along. “Yes I am, so what?”

“I love you too.” The red head said. “But I'll keep her. She knows her job. And even if she is looking at me like you said, I already have you. Do you really think I could go to her after all the effort it took me to have you?”

The tanned man tried to cover his embarrassment due to his lover's words. “I'm too handsome, admit it.”

“Yeah, sure.” The red head responded absentmindedly, returning to his documents. But Aomine wasn't satisfied yet, so he went beside his lover, grabbing the chair from behind.

“I will make sure you know it tonight.” Aomine said in the others ear before going back to his seat at his right.

“Daiki, don't distract me! Or... I will never finish this and you can't demonstrate anything.” He said with a tinge of red on his cheeks.

“And if you want to replace her you better start to study.” He added after a minute.

After silencing Aomine with that, he returned to his work. They ate lunch at the Company cafeteria and went back immediately to the office.

During that afternoon two of the elderly workers came to see him in the office, ready to complain about Kagami, like that he was too young and he didn't know how things were done there, that they were used to do things in a certain way and he couldn't come and change things on his own. Even if he claimed the changes were all made for the sake of the Company.

All in all, the men said a lot of things and complained plenty.

Listening to them the red head understood two things. They were the ones that were stealing some money (he noticed the problems and was investigating the matter) from the Company and they also wanted maintain their current job so they could continue to have power and money. They had connection to some non-exactly good people, and, at least two of them, had problems with gambling.

He made clear that things were different now, and gave them a choice: retire or be fired and charged for their stealing.

Well, they would be charged anyway, but he could be lenient. He had proofs and was ready to use them too. They, obviously, chose to retire after having seen the papers proving their money movements.

In two days Kagami made a lot of other changes in the Company, and after that, he returned to his real work. But from that moment on, he had to do what Akashi was doing for years, two jobs at the same time. The only difference was that the other job was secret now. In other words he was a secret spy pretending to be just a business man. At least he would do this for some time, until he could find someone suitable to take his place.

He returned home exhausted, but Aomine didn't listen to it. Just after the door closed the tanned man attacked Kagami's lips, neck and body.

“Dai...” Moaned the red headed man.

“I had to wait all day, Taiga. It was fucking frustrating.” The tanned man said, while nipping the others earlobe, with his seductive voice, knowing exactly what that was doing to the other male.

“Aghh... Dai... Wait...”

“I don't want to wait.” He placed a hand on the clothed hardening of the other man. “And this seems to agree with me.” He started to move his hand making the bulge even more evident.

“Idiot... It... wanted... agh... to bed...”

“Yeah...” The two of them started to head towards their bedroom, which one wasn't important anymore, bumping in a wall and some furniture before arriving there.

They were now on the bed, Aomine on top of the red head, marking him. The old marks were fading, so he wanted to replace them with new ones.

He really couldn't resist. Kagami was his, it was really true... he still was afraid to lose him. His hand slipped under Kagami's pants, the penis already so hard for HIM. That was something that made Aomine's pride grow every time a bit more. Only he could touch his Tiger, only he could make him become a moaning mess under his touch. No one else would ever have him again.

“Daiki...”

“Yeah Taiga.” He took off his boyfriend's pants and underwear throwing them on the floor, not caring where they landed, and took off his own shirt and pants which encountered the same fate.

Now, both naked, Aomine observed Kagami's body once again. It was still so perfect. His pale skin, his muscles, his abs, everything was so perfect, even the scars. He kissed each one of them, making the other whimper.

“Daiki, what... it's...” Kagami was so embarrassed by the gesture that he started to blush and he was so cute in Aomine's eyes.

“I kissed them, 'cause they're proof you're still alive.”

“But it's embarrassing!”

“I don't care. You're mine. So they're mine too.”

“That's nonsense!” But Kagami's protest was cut off by Aomine's lips.

Their kisses where always so demanding, so mind blowing that Kagami lost every will to protest.

The tanned man retrieved the lube from the nightstand and started to ravage Kagami's entrance, opening him up for what would come. He wanted to be gentle that night, he really wanted, but Kagami simply had that effect on him that he couldn't resist. He was fingering Kagami and hit his prostate making the man moan loud.

“Daiki, it's okay, I want you now...”

“You need yet to be ready...”

“Please... Daiki...” And that was the final stroke for the tanned man... Kagami's pleading voice would be the end of him one day. Every restraint died after hearing it.

He took out his fingers and aligned himself. He entered Kagami with all the calmness he could master but after that he started to thrust vigorously.

“Ghh... Aaaahhh...” Kagami under him was simply fantastic. He wasn't shy as he thought when they were young, he was demanding, and so sexy. And he was meeting him with every thrust. His hair sticky for the sweat, his red piercing eyes fixed on his own. His lips were so talented, he had to have kissed a lot to be able to be this good. Kagami's nails were digging in Aomine's skin, making him know how much he was good at giving him pleasure. His muscled arms around the tanned man shoulders were in no way weak and that was what he liked about Kagami. He was strong and kind at the same time, he was someone you could count on, someone Aomine could trust his own life with.

With every thrust he hit that sweet spot and Kagami would shout in pleasure “Yes!” “There Daiki!” “Deeper!” “More!”

Now Kagami was near the edge and so was him. He grabbed the red head's shaft and started to stroke in rhythm with his thrusts.

Kagami moaned his name out loud. “I'm... Com... Daikiii!”

He came all over the tanned man's hand and seeing him so satisfied and sexy, and feeling the squeezing of his ass around him, Aomine came too. “Ahhh Taiga!”

He collapsed on top of his lover. When he regained some energy he slipped out and, after cleaning a bit, placed himself beside Kagami, who put his head on Aomine's shoulder.

“I really love you, Taiga.” The tanned man murmured, his voice so low that he thought the other didn't heard him, but he did.

“Love you too, Daiki.” Hell, if someone had told him years ago he would be with a man and so sappy he would have punched them in their face.

The day after Aomine decided it was time. He was on the street, returning home from work. As always Kagami was still in the office, while he was stuck with paper works for Akashi.

Aomine took his phone and dialed the number he needed.

“Tetsu, I need a favor.”

“What is it Aomine-kun?”

“I need to find a good jewelry shop.”

“Aomine-kun if you have an affair...”  
“I'm not! It's... for Kagami.”

A silence from the other side of the phone made him worry for a moment.

“I will gladly help you, Aomine-kun.” But they didn't knew what was awaiting them the next days.

 

\---

In another part of the Country, in an old house, some men were meeting.

A black haired man was reading some papers when a name came to his hear.

“You said Kagami?”

“Yes?”

“Tell me more.”

“Well... I know this man who was working for that Company and sometimes he gave us some information in exchange for his debts, Ya know he's a gambler. Anyway, we made a lot of money with that. He was actually stealing money from the Company to pay for his debts. But he can't do it anymore. It's because there's a new boss now and he was discovered. It seem the son took the father's place and the man I know was fired, or something. He's worthless now, he can't pay us anymore, so we should just take him out of the picture.”

“I don't care what you do with him. But you said he was working for a Company, right?”

“Yeah, it seem the CEO retired leaving things to his son.”

“And...” Hanamiya asked, “This son happened to be named Kagami Taiga?”

“I don't know, why you ask?”

“Find some info about it. I really wanna go say hi to my old friends.” He started to smile.

_Well... it seem we'll be able to play again_.

 

\---------------------

 

 

 


	9. New Problems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is when Hanamiya makes his move. And things starts to be dangerous again...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter may trigger something if you have problems with attempt rape and violence, so this is a worning for who may have problems with it.  
> I still hope you'll like this chapter

**NEW PROBLEMS**

Kagami was returning home from the office, it was a sunny day, so, for once, he didn't took the car. He would just take the subway or call a taxi. He exited the building still deciding about it.

He was alone, since Aomine had some paperwork to do, so he could do both without the other man complaining about it.

He was so tired... he only wanted to go home and see Aomine, so he didn't pay enough attention at his surroundings.

“Yo, Kagami Taiga. It's been long time.”

Kagami froze. He knew that mocking voice. He also knew the face of the man in front of him. Sure, he had aged, but Kagami would recognize him everywhere.

In front of him was none other than Hanamiya Makoto. Older now, but he was undoubtedly him.

“Hanamiya!”

“Oh? Do you still remember me?”

“Bastard!”

“Ah, ah! Kagami-kun.” The red head was hit in the stomach and in random parts of his body by some men that attacked him from behind his back. So Hanamiya wasn't alone...

He reacted but they hit him until he was on the ground. If they were just two or three he could beat them, but Hanamiya took five of them with him, and they were armed too. One hit him with a beam, one had a knife. He defended himself how he could, but he was outnumbered and without protections, he was in his business suit. “They don't react very well if you try to touch me.”

“What do you want?” he asked when the men stopped hitting him.

“I only wanted to say hi. This time.” He said. But his smile widened. “Stupid! I want to hurt you!” He said. “Pick him, we're going.”

Kagami remembered the tracer they all had in case of emergency. He kept it in his hidden pocket so he turned it on, hoping help would come before he was killed by that damned psychopath. He still hoped to escape before he would really need some help though.

Meanwhile in the main office of the secret task force Kuroko was in a rare pause from work and was in Akashi's office.

“Anghhh, Seijuro...” He was sit on Akashi's lap.

“Sei... I'm com...Ahhh!!”

Akashi thrusted inside him for another couple seconds before coming too.

“It's always a pleasure, Tetsuya.” By the time they cleaned themselves they noticed the noise coming from Kuroko's laptop.

“Check it, Tetsuya.”

“It's Kagami-kun's signal.” And he paled at the implications. “Kagami-kun would never have turned it on if it wasn't important.”

Akashi picked up his phone.

“Daiki. I need your quick answer. Is Taiga at home?”

“Not yet, why you ask?”

“He turned on his tracer.”

“Shit!” Aomine cursed. “Where is he?”

“I'll send reinforcement.”

“They won't make it in time!”

“Very well, I'll send you the coordinates, but I'll send the team anyway. Don't be rash. Tell us the situation when you're there.”

“Fine.” They hung up. Akashi called the squad and, picking his jacket, went with them as fast as possible where Kagami's tracer was indicating. They followed the signal until it stopped.

Meanwhile, during the travel with his captors, Kagami tried to escape and he was beaten by Hanamiya's men. Again. _Shit!_ _I can't quietly follow them_. After that, they blindfolded him and tied his hands, their grip strengthen too.

They arrived at an old building, Kagami knew it because of the typical smell of mold and fungus, and entered. They took an elevator and walked through a corridor. He tried to take notice of everything he could, since he was still blindfolded and may need some clue to escape from there. That was, if he would still be alive by then.

At a certain point they entered an apartment? A room? Kagami didn't knew.

“Now sit!” Ordered one of the men, and the red head remained stubbornly on his feet. Until a punch at his stomach made him forcefully bend down.

Hanamiya intervened. “Taiga... sit there and be good, unless you don't want I break your knees.” Kagami sat down. He knew too well that the man could really do what he threatened, he ruined Kiyoshi's knee after all, and killed people when he was still a teenager. “Good boy.” The man said to his ear. He felt a wave of nausea, hearing that man's voice so near wasn't pleasant at all.

He was still blindfolded when they tied his wrists to a bed head. _So it's a bed. Wait! Why a bed?_

“What do you want to do?” He protested. But instead of an answer a needle entered his arm. _A drug_? _A fucking drug???_ He tried to free himself without success.

He struggled, he kicked the air (he couldn't hit anyone) but there was no use.

“Kagami-kun. You're not the only one that's changed in these years.” Hanamiya's voice still had the same mocking tone it had back then. Absolutely annoying. The red head could picture his smirk also if he couldn't see. They were alone in the room now, or so he though. Kagami could hear the other men go out after injecting him the drug, but was not sure if all of them were gone or not.

“And for you I want a little entertainment. It was because of you that I lost that time. And it was also because of you that I had to come to the States. But... well, here I could open my horizons. So I am grateful to you for this.” He said in his ear. “I bet it was also because of you that the bomb that time didn't kill you all. So you earned a special treatment.”

Kagami's eyes went wide under the blindfold. _Don't tell me it was his doing._..

“The drug will take effect in some minutes. Meanwhile...” The man ripped Kagami's shirt with a knife (his jacket was discharged along the way, when he had tried to free himself). “Why don't we start our fun game?”

“I don't want to play with you!”

“Oh you will beg me in no time, don't worry.” He traced Kagami's abdomen with the knife. The red head was trying to use his legs to kick the man, but he discovered he couldn't move them. _Why? Why I can't move? What kind of drug they gave to me_? _Am I still tied?_ His head was spinning, he was feeling strange, he couldn't focus his thoughts...

“Bastard, what did you do? What did you gave me?” It was difficult to speak either. And the air in the room was too hot.

Hanamiya traced again his skin with his knife, touching where he was hit before, making him wince in pain, he traced Kagami's cuts too, the bastards liked to use his knives. He went to his abdomen again, cutting it this time. It was not too deep, but enough to drive blood and be painful.

“I really like the color red.” He said, licking the blood on the red head's abdomen.

“Gghh... don't...” Kagami tried to protest again. And he was still blindfolded. He wanted so much punch the man, but he couldn't even move a finger. What fucking drug did they gave him???

“You're so sensitive now, right? But it's not time yet. In some minutes my men will take care of you. And when you will be completely broken, you will be mine.” He licked the tip of Kagami's nipple and the red head moaned in horror. In that moment he knew what was the drug they gave him. _A fucking sex drug_!!

“How is it Kagami? To be turned on by not only a man, but by the man who killed you brother...” The man said while continuing play with his nipple.

“You're... nggh... Shit!” He tried to block the sensation biting his lips, but it wasn't working. He swallowed blood.

“It's almost time for you to be taken care of by my men.” He put a hand on his crotch and massaged the place. “They will do you and you will enjoy it. And I will be watching it all. While they'll break you enough to be ready for me.” Hanamiya sucked the nipple and bit it, making the red head moan again, while his hand was still at his lower part, which was starting to harden, with Kagami's disgust. The man opened his pants and took them off, leaving him only with his underwear. “After all of this you will be mine. You will beg me, you'll be so broken by the drug and the other things I'll do to you that you will not be able to escape anymore.” _He's fucking insane!!!_ “And you'll be mine.”

Hanamiya stood up and went to the door. “After this... I will take care of you personally.” Then he talked to his men. “It's time, enjoy.” He said, opening the door and letting them enter the room.

Kagami didn't know what to do. _Shit! Shit! I have to escape! I can't..._ He couldn't focus, still he had to try, he couldn't let them do this...

He heard footsteps and the voices of Hanamiya's men. “Now do him and make him realize how much of a whore he is.”

“I'll be the first.” Said one of the men and the red head's underwear where taken off and his legs opened. He tried to move but he couldn't.

 _Shit! Daiki!_ He prayed.

The man was aligning to his entrance, without even preparing him, his penis was touching Kagami's opening. _They don't even prepare me??? Shit! Shit!!! Bastards! I have to..._ He was feeling weak, he was scared, he knew what was happening, and he knew the drug would make him do what they wanted at some point. Even if he didn't want to, even if it hurt him. He was trying to resist but is body was not obeying him at all. He could feel the man's dick starting to push into his hole.

Right then the door was opened.

“Tai...” Aomine's voice died. But the noise in the room let Kagami know that he would be rescued, so he sighed in relief. Still he was also embarrassed for the position he was in.

Some minutes later his legs touched the bed again and his wrists were released, they were aching already. When his blindfold was released he opened his eyes to find in front of him Aomine's worried face.

“Daiki...” He could barely speak.

“Are you all right? They didn’t... ya know...”

“No, you arri...ved... time.”

“Thanks god!”

“Hanam...”

“What?”

“Where... he?”

“Taiga I can't really understand.”

“Daiki make him wear some clothes.” Akashi reminded the two men Kagami's situation. So the tanned man helped his lover to dress, since he couldn't move. It seemed his clothes were still in the room. At least part of them, his shirt had been ripped earlier so it was useless.

“Ngghhh....” Kagami moaned when his lover accidentally touched him. Aomine looked at Kagami with a strange look.

“Taiga? What are you...” He asked the red head while helping him dress and stand up, which he couldn't muster, so the other man had to take him by his shoulders, and seeing him moan on every touch he understood something was off.

“Drug...”

“What?”

“Kagami-kun they drugged you?” Kuroko asked nodding in understanding.

“Oi, Tetsu, what's happening?”

It was Akashi that explained the situation. “They gave him a sex drug.”

“Damn bastards!” Aomine cursed. “Will he be okay?”

“Yes, in some hours. That if you take care of things.” But Aomine seemed to not understand Akashi's implications, so Kuroko volunteered to explain him in a more simple way.

“Akashi-kun means you have to have sex with him. That's the faster way. Or its effect will be really long and... painful for him.”

“In this situation??”

“The other way is to take him to the hospital as soon as possible.”

But Kagami attracted Aomine attention and said him it was okay. The situation was already too embarrassing, he didn't want to go to the hospital too.

“You're sure?”

“Yes, if it's... you.”

“Fine.” Then he turned to their boss. “Oi, Akashi, I take him home!”

“Mibuchi, Izuki, go with them, Taiga still can't walk, and make sure no one follow you.”

“Yes.”

They arrived at the apartment without problems and Mibuchi helped Aomine to take Kagami in and put him in bed.

“We're going now.”

“Thanks.” Aomine said to the men, Mibuchi smiled faintly, and Izuki mumbled an “Enjoy” before going.

Now, alone in their home the two men were safe. Kagami was in bed, feverish because of the drug.

Aomine helped him to undress and did the same for himself.

He noticed the cuts and bruises. “We need to treat them.”  
“T's fine.”  
“Taiga let me do it.” Kagami just sighed and let Aomine treat his wounds. The man went to take the first aid kit and started to work on him. “Bear with it for a minute.”

When he finished, Aomine looked at him. “We should go to the hospital after all.” Kagami had a lot of bruise because of the hit he received, and if he had not a rib broken was by some miracle.

“I'll be fine.”  
“Just to be sure you don't have anything broken.”  
“Maybe tomorrow...just not now Dai...”

“Dai? I like it...” Aomine smiled at the nickname. Even if he knew it wasn't used on purpose.  
“Idiot...”

“Are you ready, Taiga?” He said picking up the lube. The other man didn't answer, he only nodded.

Aomine was gentle, more than usual, but Kagami didn't complain. They did it two times before the drug started to regress, and after that they did it another time and then they cuddled after that. It was already near dawn.

Kagami was in Aomine's arms, safe. His lover's warm body was calming him. His, no their scent, was so comfortable. And that was when he remembered something.

“Daiki, where's Hanamiya?”

“What? Why are you talking about that bast... He organized it???”

“He was there Daiki! They were in front of the Company, waiting for me. They were his men. He made me this.” He said, pointing at the cut. “He said that his men would 'take care of me' and then he would be the one to break me. He's really insane!”

“Shit! Taiga, why haven't you said it earlier???”  
“I tried! I couldn't talk, remember?”

“Shit! I'll call Akashi, you go to take a shower.”

 

 

\------------------------

 

 

 


	10. Hanamiya? part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> that's how Aomine view things and dealed with them

**HANAMIYA? Part 2**

Chapter 10 Hanamiya part 2

 

Aomine had a day off for once. Well, not completely. He had some paperwork to do in the morning. Taiga didn't want him to go to the office after, and said to relax.

“It's safe, Daiki, stay at home and rest today.” It wasn't the first time, but he had actually nothing to do, so he was bored. He played a bit basketball in the nearby court, but without someone to challenge him it was boring that too, so he went back home.

He was lazing on the couch, watching an NBA match they registered some days ago, drinking a beer after eating the meal Kagami left for him to heat. He still couldn't cook well, even if in those years he managed to learn something from the red head. His mother would be proud he could survive with his own cooking, and his food was not poison like Satsuki's.

Lately Taiga was always busy, having two jobs was stressing him, also because the man didn't want things to become like this. But he couldn't leave neither of them at the moment, so he was trying his best. Aomine could understand that, but he had to see his lover come home stressed and too tired for anything. And he couldn't help him to ease things, and that was frustrating him. He wanted to help, he wanted to lift some burden from his lover's shoulders. _Maybe I have to ask Akashi. Shit I don't want to owe him another thing!_

On the TV the power forward of the Lakers had just made an incredible dunk. It could be him or Taiga, if things didn't went like they did. Oh well, he liked his actual job anyway, so it was fine. Aomine's phone buzzed. The tanned man was annoyed by the noise, he didn't want distractions today. Well, he thought, maybe it could be Kagami that finished early and was heading home. He smiled at the idea. They could do it and after go out to eat.

“Yo!” He answered the phone without looking at the ID.

“Daiki. I need your quick answer. Is Taiga at home?”

“Not yet, why you ask?”

“He turned on his tracer.” Aomine thought about his lover's words that morning. 'It's safe, Daiki.' _Shit I should never have left him alone!_

“Shit!” Aomine cursed. “Where is he?”

“I'll send reinforcement.”

“They won't make it in time!”

“Very well. I'll send you the coordinates, but I'll send the team anyway. Don't be rash. Wait for them before charging in alone.”

“Fine.” They hung up and Aomine picked up his things and his m9, exited the house and waited for the coordinates. He was updated by phone by Kuroko every minute or so, he drove his car following the direction given to him.

He arrived in the whereabouts in about 45 minutes, hoping it would not be too late. _Taiga... be safe please_! He was scared, really scared... last time Hanamiya took someone... it was Satsuki. And she almost died. Aomone didn't knew what he could do if... if he could go on without Kagami. He didn't want to think about it, not now. He had do save him, at any cost!

He called Akashi. There was nothing there. He searched for some clue, but he found nothing. “Fuck!” He picked up the tracer from the floor and started to panic. “Akashi! The tracer is here, I mean, it was on the asphalt with his jacket.”  
“Calm down Daiki.”  
“Don't tell me to stay calm! He's...”  
“Daiki! Calm down and tell me what you see.”  
“There's nothing but some old buildings.” He walked towards the buildings for some minute.

“You should also see a hotel there.”  
“Your point?”  
“The tracer must have been dropped while they were carrying him. He would be struggling, I can't think of him follow them voluntarily.”

“Yeah.”

“And you found his jacked.”  
“Yeah, it's ripped, he sure was fighting. It's stained of blood.”  
“There are only two places they could have taken him around there.”  
“Tell me...”  
“If we're right, the hotel is the most possible. It seem that the electricity is still working there.”

“I'm going!”  
“You'll wait for us.” Akashi's tone was a warning, enough to stop him on his track.  
“We'll be there in five minutes.”

“It could be too late!”

“Aomine-kun, please stay calm.” Kuroko intervened. “You can't help him alone, you'll only end up be killed with him instead of rescue him.”

The tanned man sighed. “Fine. But you better be here in five or I'll go in alone.”

They arrived in five minutes, Mibuchi helped him with the equipment and the bulletproof jacket and they entered the building. It was an old hotel, now in ruin, but electricity and water were still working. It just meant that the place was used by someone.

Kuroko was scanning all the rooms with infrared, searching for movements and hot sources, and when he finally found the right one Akashi gave the order to enter. The sight they had after entering was shocking. Four man were near a bed, in which was Kagami, blindfolded, tied up, almost completely naked and it was obvious what they were about to do.

They immediately went in and took care of the men, while Aomine was instantly beside Kagami to help him.

He put his gun (he changed it when the other came in with all their equipment) on the bed, untied Kagami and released his blindfold.

“Daiki...” Kagami's voice was thin, like it was difficult for him to talk.

“Are you all right? They didn’t... ya know...”

“No, you arri...ved... time.”

“Thanks god!” The tanned man released the breath he was holding. The red head was injured in his chest, his wrist, his flank and it was obvious he was hit multiple times with something hard, but at least the wounds weren't too deep and they couldn't... rape him. God, what would he have done if they actually did? What if they would not have been there on time? He didn't want to think about that, Kagami was safe and that was the only thing that mattered.

“Hanam...”

“What?”

“Where... he?”

“Taiga I can't really understand.”

“Daiki make him wear some clothes.” Akashi reminded him Kagami's situation. The man was still half naked. So the tanned man searched for Kagami's clothes on the floor and helped his lover to dress, since he couldn't move. The shirt was ripped and he gave up on that. He found the underwear and pants though, and helped the other man to dress.

“Ngghhh....” Aomine looked to his lover. _I'm only helping him to dress, he couldn't be inju... no that was not a noise caused by pain...What..._

“Taiga? What are you...” He asked the red head after another moan while helping him to stand up and hearing him moan on every touch without being able to stay still.

“Drug...”

“What?”

“Kagami-kun they drugged you?” Kuroko asked nodding in understanding.

“Oi, Tetsu, what's happening?”

“They gave him a sex drug.” Akashi's explained.

“Damn bastards!” Aomine cursed. “Will he be okay?”

“Yes, in some hours. That if you take care of things.” But Aomine didn't understand, so Kuroko had to explain him.

“Akashi-kun means you have to have sex with him. That's the faster way. Otherwise it would take a lot of time and pain for him.”

“In this situation??”

“The alternative would be taking him to the hospital as soon as possible.” But Kagami attracted Aomine attention and said him it was okay.

“You're sure?”

“Yes, if it's... you.”

“Fine.” Then turned to look at Akashi, who was giving some instructions about Kagami's captors.

“Oi, Akashi, I take him home!”

“Mibuchi, Izuki, go with them, and make sure no one follow you.”

“Yes.”

They arrived at the apartment without problems and Mibuchi helped Aomine to take Kagami in bed.

“Then we're going now.”

“Thanks.” Aomine said to the men, Hayama smiled faintly, and Izuki mumbled an “Enjoy” before going. Bastards, they knew he and Kagami were together, so they were making fun of him.

Now, they were alone in their home. Kagami was in bed, still feverish because of the drug.

Aomine helped him to undress and treated his wounds, even if the other tried to protest.

Kagami's wounds where now fully visible and it worried Aomine. They started to become bluish and he feared the man had something broken, but Kagami refused to go to the hospital. SO he agreed to wait until morning and see if the man's condition worsened.

Then he took off his own shirt and retrieved the lube.

“Are you ready, Taiga?” He said picking up the lube. The other man didn't answer, he only nodded.

When the tanned man started to loosen up Kagami's entrance he was glad they didn't touch him, but he also realized that they wanted to do it without preparation. They wanted to hurt his lover, and that lit his hunger again. _Those bastards_!

Aomine tried to be gentle, Kagami was not himself in that moment, so he couldn't be rough as always... They did it two times before the drug started to regress, and after that they did it another time and then they cuddled a bit.

Kagami was in Aomine's arms now, safe, and Aomine was enjoying it. They rarely cuddled lately, they were both too tired, but that day he felt it was necessary, for both of them.

So when his lover started to talk he was taken by surprise. “Daiki, where's Hanamiya?”

“What? Why are you talking about that bast... He organized it???”

“They were in front of the Company, waiting for me. They were his men. He made me this. He said that his man would 'take care of me' and then he would be the one to break me. He's really insane!” He was pointing his wounds.

“Shit! Taiga, why haven't you said it earlier???”

“I tried! I couldn't talk, remember?”

“Shit! I'll call Akashi, you go to take a shower.”

 

\-----------------

 

 


	11. Stalemate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanamiya Makoto is back and Akashi wants his friends to be save, so so he make his decisions and strategy. But will all of this be enough?

**STALEMATE**

 

Akashi wanted an immediate meeting with the squad and Kagami. So the two aces went to the Headquarters as soon as they were ready, a shower and a meal helped the red head to fully recover.

When they arrived only Kuroko was already there, it wasn't dawn yet, but Akashi wanted answers and he waned them immediately.

Kagami started to tell him what happened from the start. When he finished, Mibuchi and Midorima where already there, hearing what he was saying, soon everyone else followed.

“So he knew where you were and waited for you.” Mibuchi stated.

“Yeah, I don't know how.”  
“I already questioned those men.” Akashi informed them about what he knew from the men they had arrested. “They're members of a well-established gangster group and were following his orders.” 

“And that means that Hanamiya is part of that group too.” Aomine said.

“And a high rank, if that's true.” Midorima added.

“They knew about Kagami because of the old man he had fired. It seems he had debts with them and was paying with the Company money. He was stealing for gambling. That's how Hanamiya found out about Kagami being there, the man couldn't refuse to give them information.”

“And since his IQ is really high, he has already been looked into Kagami's movements. That means...”

“He knows about us.” Finished Takao. “Maybe not everything, but he knows enough.”

“That's right. He will not be surprised anymore. And actually Hanamiya was their boss.” Akashi informed them.

“Wait, you mean he's one of the heads?”

“No, he's the boss. It seems his uncle was the previous boss. And he conveniently died recently.”

“You mean Hanamiya killed him.” Izuki said, not needing a real answer.

Akashi continued his speech. “And he will attack again. He has the group back him up now. It will be a war.”

“He knew about that time, I mean the trap with the bomb. Maybe he took part in it.” Kagami remembered.

“How?”

“I don't know, maybe the mole. He talked about that bomb attempt when he... when he was...”

“I see.” Akashi, as always, had already understood, sparing the red head any further explanation.

“Akashi, tell me I'm wrong.” Kagami said to other red head.

“I think you're right, Taiga. Maybe he was in that too. I don't think he knew back then it was against us, but he's not innocent either. And that he knows, he wants to play with us. He knew about our task force, or at least he knows it by now. And that confirm I was right in tie all contacts and become independent.”

“So the mole...” Izuki asked.

“That's right, they were working for some mafia group, so I assume that was the same groups as Hanamiya's. But at that time his uncle was still alive and he had not informed his nephew about everything.” After that there was silence until Akashi spoke again. “From now on none of you will be alone. Never. Is that clear?” Akashi looked at everyone to imprint the order in their minds. 

“And Taiga. You remained in contact with Ryouta.” Now their boss was looking at the red head. “Call him and make his agent assign him bodyguards.”

“You think he will be in danger too? He's a famous actor now!” But Akashi's gaze didn't budge. It was true that Kise became famous, but Hanamiya wasn't a sane person, and back then he harmed Kasamatsu, they couldn't be sure this time he would not try something again.

“I'll call him after the meeting.” He sighed. “And maybe we need to do the same for Kasamatsu.” 

“What about Murasakibara then?” Aomine remembered that the giant was in hiding somewhere.

“I already used my precautions. And he made a choice.”

“What do you mean?”

“I remember he went in hiding.” Kagami added.

“He not only had done that. He will join our squad soon enough. He's in training.” 

“Whaat???” All but Kuroko were confused and dumbfounded.

“He said he didn't want to be left alone again.” Kuroko could understand his giant friend, he had lost his lover, like Kuroko his parents, and knew that Kagami could understand it too. Even if they all wanted a normal and quiet life, none of them could remain sit and just watch. That was why he could understand Murasakibara's decision, he made the same choice years ago. But that didn't mean they would not protest.

“But... I mean... he has a patisserie, he can't...”  
“Kagami-kun, I believe he has the right to decide to do something different. Just like you and Aomine-kun.” _And me_. Thinking about that, the red head couldn't say anything else. Still, he was feeling it was not right. The giant loved so much his job... And he was successful even. Why enter their task force now? After all those years he could live his life normally and finally find someone again.

The meeting finished ten minutes later, with Akashi's orders and their promise to not be alone for any reason.

When Kagami and Aomine were at home, the red head called Kise, while sipping coffee from his mug.

“Kagamicchi, how are you? I am so tired today!”

“Kise, listen, is Kasamatsu with you?”  
“He's in the other room why?”

“I need to talk to you two.”

“Yukyochiii!”

“Oi Ryouta, I told you I have to finish this!”

“But Kagamichi wants to talk to you!”

“I'll call him later!”

“He'll call you later, Kagamicchi.”  
“Kise, it's really important.” Listening the red heads tone, Kise knew that it was really something important.

“Wait.” He stood up and went in the other room. “I put you on speaker.” His tone was serious now.

“Kise, Kasamatsu, Hanamiya is back.” The two stood up frozen for a moment, before being able to talk again.

“Are you sure?” Kasamatsu's voice betrayed fear.

“Well, he kidnapped me and tried to... well, I can tell you another time. Kise, you two need a body guard security.”

“Kagami, I don't trust them, they don't know him, can't you do it?” Kasamatsu asked with a worried voice. Kagami knew he was frightened, he could still remember what happened to all of them back then, and Kasamatsu was still terrified of fire and be left alone to die. He still had problems to fall asleep sometime. And his skin was still bruised and scarred from that fire. Kagami didn't think about them being bodyguards though, but it made sense since they were in the police. Maybe he could someone he knew.

“I can't and so Aomine, but I can ask Akashi to pick someone he trust.” He said after some moment.

“Eh? Why? Kagamicchi you're in the SWAT right? And what about Akashicchi?? He used some before?”

“Ehm, Kise, police don't do bodyguard service you know? And the situation it's complicated, something happened, so we're not in that unit anymore. But it's not good to talk about it by phone, and I need A... my boss permission for telling.” Kagami's tongue almost slipped, he was saying Akashi's name again. It was really strange not to talk to Kise about his former captain, but he couldn't avoid it, they were a secret organization now.

“Well, tomorrow we can meet if you can or tell me when you can, I have some free time, ask Aominecchi, okay?”  
“Yeah, and I'll call you for the bodyguard thing.”

They hung up and Kagami called Akashi.

“I'll do the rest.” Was Akashi's answer. In the end Akashi called Mibuchi, Hayama and Izuki to take care of things when they weren't on other missions and some other men he knew from other units for the rest. It seem that he also made Kise and his husband sign some papers for something about all this thing, they couldn't talk about them to anyone either, or they would be persecuted as traitors.

Two days later Kagami and Aomine were sat in a restaurant with Kise and Kasamatsu.

“Kagamicchi, I didn't knew you two were working with Akashicchi! Did you really left the police?”  
“He told you?”

“He told us a lot of things.” Kasamatsu said. “You're not in the SWAT anymore.” It wasn't a question. “And you work with him. But he didn't say where or what you're doing yet, he just said you're working for the government. He made us sign a lot of papers though. He also said that he would ask us something later.” The man said. “What about your new job?”

“Well, things happened. I had to take my father's place in the Company. Things are more complicated now, but you can trust Akashi.”

“Kagamicchi you left the forces?? And you're saying to trust Akashicchi is so strange-ssu! And what's with a company??”

Kagami didn't knew what exactly Akashi had said to the two men yet, so he didn't knew what to answer.

“Akashi didn't tell you?” Aomine went in his aid.

“He told us you two are in his squad, but he remained vague about it.” Kasamatsu explained them.

“Well, we can't really talk about it. Just…”

“Don't worry you two. I can understand you can't talk about those things.” Kasamatsu was always a practical and discrete person. “And we shouldn't even know if those papers are a clue.”

“But Yukiochii, I want to know!”

“Kise!” The older man hit Kise ho his head. 

_Those two never change._ Kagami and Aomine thought at the same time. “Well, Kise you can try to ask Akashi, but I don't really know if he will tell you. Though yeah, I'm the CEO of my father's Company. A long story.”

“EHHH??? Kagamicchi is a business man-ssu???”  
“Kind of. I'm still in the forces though.” Kagami didn't really knew what to say to the man. So he changed subject. “Anyway how are things now? Is the movie going well?” 

“The shots are almost finished.” Kise answered with his usual cheerfulness. “You must come to see the movie! And if I can invite you to the party you have to come!”

“We'll see.” Kagami was surprised, both Kise and Kasamatsu never mentioned Hanamiya that evening, but it was all for good, he didn't want to explain what had happened to him that day, and he could understand their desire to not think about that man, Kasamatsu risked his life back then. 

After finishing to eat they went somewhere else to relax. But the two agents didn't drink too much, they knew they had to be always on guard now. Ha namiya could appear at any moment.

The evening was pleasant, even with the blonde’s whining.  At a certain point the two agents decided it was time to go and, after having accompanied the other two at their home, well the home Kise's agency assigned to them, they left.

They had just entered the house when Aomine called his lover. “Taiga.”

“What is it?” Kagami was on his way to the bedroom. 

“I need to tell you something.” The red head appeared from the door, worried.

“Daiki? What's up?”

“Well, I wanted to do it a month ago, but...”

The red head approached his lover worried. Everything was fine between them, right? Aomine didn't change his mind, he still wanted to stay with him, right? After their effort, Amine had not been regretted his choice right? He was a bit worried about this. After all, the other man was originally straight.

The tanned man pulled out of his pocked a little gift box and gave it to the red head.

“What is it?”

“Open it.” The tanned man was clearly embarrassed. And wait! Was that a blush??? _Oh my god is Aomine blushing???_

“But it's not my birthday yet. And it's not our anniversary either.”

“Just open it, would you?”

Kagami, then, opened it and found a set of golden rings. He immediately looked up at his lover, his eyes wide. “It is...”

“Look, I know that it isn't over yet. But I don't want to wait any longer. I waited enough years to be with you.” The man's cheeks were really red now, despite his skin color the red could be clearly visible. “You are be best thing happened to me, so...”

“Daiki...” Kagami smiled at his boyfriend and kissed him passionately. Aomine responded with an equally passionate kiss. That night they barely made to the bedroom. (they were still fighting over which one was their bedroom).

The day after both of them went to the training session with a stupid grin on their faces. Every member of the squad was looking at them quizzically. But the top was, after the hell training that Akashi gave them, Aomine decided to help, actually help to put away things, and offered to do some paperwork, while Kagami casually had made too much of his meal and offered it to everyone.

“Kagami-kun, Aomine-kun, something happened yesterday?” Kuroko, as always, was the braver one, no one of the other dared to ask.

“We saw that annoying couple.” Aomine answered.

“You mean Kise-kun? No, Kasamatsu now.”

“Yeah, them.”

“And?”

Kagami started to blush. “I...have to go to...”  
“Kagami-kun,” Kuroko blocked him, “Why are you blushing?”

“Damn it, Kuroko, can't you let it go for once?”

“I want to know too.” Izuki intervened.

“Me too!” Takao was just entering the room. He didn't knew what was happening, but was curious none the less.

“Takao!” Midorima behind him scolded the man.

Kagami sighed. “...  marry. ” He spoke in a low voice trying not to be heard.

“What?”

“Kagami-kun we couldn't hear you.” Kuroko noticed that also Aomine's cheeks were slightly red, and he started to understand. After all he helped the tanned man to buy the rings. It was just too amusing to tease the two idiots.

“So Aomine-kun asked you at last.” He said.

“You... knew?”

“Kuroko, what is happening?” Izuki and Takao wanted to know too.

“Yeah, tell us too!”

Kuroko started to talk “Well, sometime ago...”

“Tetsu!”

“What is it Aomine-kun?” The light blue haired boy spoke with his usual deadpan face, but Aomine knew he was a devil disguised, damn him, he didn't want everyone to know about it so fast.

“Did you want to say it instead?” Kuroko insisted.

He started to protest. “It's something...” And then he looked at Kagami, and he didn't knew what to say. His man was so incredibly cute right in that moment, with his cheeks and ears as red as his hair, trying to become invisible even with his feature... “I asked  him to marry me.” He blurted without even think about it. 

“Daiki!” Kagami protested, while the others in the room reacted in their own way.

“Way to go, Kagami!” Takao shouted with a smile, and he was hit by a can of bean soup (how Midorima managed to find it in the States was a mystery for everyone) by a blushing Midorima (who didn't had the courage to ask the same thing to his lover for those past two years). 

“Takao!”

“Shin-chan, maybe we...” The black haired man tried, but he was cut off by Midorima, who hit him on his head with his lucky item of the day, a stuffed dinosaur.

“I said they're cute like a couple! Now they will be a real cute couple!” Izuki was still trying to say things with his not-fun-puns, Hayama limited himself to sigh and Mibuchi was smiling. Akashi watched all this in silence, but he was glad things were going well between the two idiots.

However their problems still remained. They had yet to deal with Hanamiya and his group.

The following days passed with training and work, as usual, but Akashi looked through all his information papers and asked Kuroko to find more about Hanamiya's group. The man could hack everything, discover every password, look into every computer if he wanted. It was a pity that Mom oi opted for a normal life. Her information-gathering skill would be appreciated now. But it couldn't be helped.

It was after one of their missions that Kagami and Aomine were walking on the street in a rare day off. They had a mission the day before and that morning they went to Kagami's office, but now they had all the afternoon for themselves. Aomine wanted a new pair of Jordan, that thing of him about collecting shoes never changed in those years, he just had not enough money to buy them. But now their pay was a lot higher than  before, so heh ad managed to save enou gh to buy at least one pair of shoes. Kagami needed some shirts too, so they decided to go shopping. “But next time we'll go to the beach, I want to surf!” Kagami said.

“Yes, yes, you'll surf and I'll take a nap.”

They ate at the “In&Out” and now they were walking in LABrea.

“Oi, Taiga, I miss a one on one.” He had a point, thought Kagami, they had less and less time lately for basketball. They were looking at a shop where Aomine eyed a pair of shoes when a man approached them.

“I'm sorry, Mr. Kagami Taiga?”

Kagami rolled his eyes.  _Not again!_ He didn't want to deal with his father's men again. “Look, if my father wants to compl...” He started, but he was cut off by the man's words.

“No, actually... your mother... she would like to invite you to drink something with her.”

“My.... Where?” Aomine was looking at the red head quizzically while Kagami was scanning his surroundings. When he explained things to him about his family situation, Aomine was shocked. His father went so far to make her go away and prohibited her to see her son again or she would be charged. 

“She's... I will escort you. Please follow me.” They followed the man to a cafe nearby.

It was an old fashioned cafe, with white tablecloth over pink ones.

A woman around her 50's, with red hair and a distinct air, in her blue dress signaled them to come at her table.

“Kaa-san...” The red head called her in Japanese, before starting to walk. Aomine now knew from whom his lover took his red hair and fair skin. She must have been a real beauty when she was young. She was still a beautiful woman.

“Taiga...”

“Mother, how? I mean... “  
“I have my means. But sit you two, order everything you want.”

“How did you know I was here?”  
“I didn't, I saw you by chance. A lucky one.” Now Kagami remembered he wasn't alone. 

“Daiki, she's...”

“I'm Taiga's mother.”  
“Aomine Daiki.”

The waiter came to take their orders and left.

“He's my... boyfriend.” The red head was embarrassed. And also, what if his mother was against gay people? He never told her about this kind of things. He was too young when she left.

“Oh my, Taiga.” She said, looking at the tanned man, scanning him from head to toe. “Well, I'll admit you're handsome.” She agreed pleased. “Good choice my boy.”

“Mum!” Kagami protested, knowing that he was blushing. “Are you... okay with it? I mean...”

“Sure. I just want you to be happy. And I know you lived together for years now.”

“How do you know all these things? They should be classified information. Even dad didn't knew.” Now was Aomine's turn to ask. “For what Taiga said to me you two never met after the divorce.”

“I have some high level connections. I was always informed about my son. Even if I couldn't see him.” They didn't know yet, but the woman was also the daughter of a man that worked in politic.

Aomine reflected that they must have been really high connections, ‘cause, now, they were a government paramilitary secret force and independent secret agency, so only few people were allowed to know. And now something else resurfaced his memory. They never knew who pulled the strings for them to go to America. Maybe... Naaa... that wasn't possible, right?

“Who are you exactly?” He asked.

“Maybe one day I will be able to tell you.” So was she one of those few allowed to know? That meant she wasn't a normal woman.

“Then why seeing him now and not earlier?”

“He's free from my ex-husband.” That made sense. Though how did she knew? “Well, I could say, you beat him, Taiga. You repaid him.”

“Well, yeah...” But everyone knew that was a bittersweet victory. “How do you know though?”  
“This is another thing I'm still not allowed to tell you.”

They talked about things of the past and the present. She happily informed them she saw her ex-husband some time ago, and he was not happy about the results of his plans for their son. Nor he was happy about his loss. He could never hide something from her.

“Well I should let you go now. But I promise, Taiga, I won't stay away again.”

“It was good to meet you.” Aomine greeted.

“I'm happy he chose you, Aomine-san, you make him happy.”

“Mo—mom!” Kagami was embarrassed, while Aomine's smirk widened. He liked the woman.

“Well Taiga, she's got good eye.”

When they exited the cafe they resumed their shopping. But Kagami was deep in thought.

“What are you thinking about Taiga? I thought you would be happy to see your mother again.”

“I am, it's just... you didn't see your parents in two years.”  
“I still talk to them by phone ya know.”

“I know, but... I will be a Aomine... I don't know if they will...”

“I don't care. If they don't accept you it's their problem.”  
“I care!” Aomine sighed.

“Look I never told them I liked a man. But I'm sure they will like you. They liked you back then.”

“Only because we were friends, sort of...”

Aomine put an arm on Kagami's shoulder. He wanted to kiss him, but they were in public. “Trust me, Bakagami.”

Before returning home they went to buy groceries. That evening Kagami cooked teriyaki burgers for his fiancé and the man promised he would talk to his parents about them.

 

 

\---

 

“I really didn't know that could happen!” The man was trying to justify his actions. Last night there was a deal happening with some people, their group was selling some drug to some other organization. But things went a little wrong thanks to the man's inaccurate judgment, and the group had lost some money. It was not that much, but that was something a new boss couldn't let it go. 

“You know it was your fault...” Hanamiya was playing with his favorite knife. Yes he could use guns, but knives were still his favorites. He raised his arm and licked the blade.

“They were too insistent, I couldn't imagine...”  
“What, that they would start to fire? You had instructions and you messed up.”

“The-the next time...”

“Moreover you were also discovered by the police.”

“If I knew... The next...”

“You think it will be a next time?” The black haired man was fast and his hand was steady. He hit the man in the stomach, where he was sure it hurt the most and would bleed a lot.

“B-bo..ss... he... lp...”

“You're noisy, die in silence before I decide to help you be quick.” The man was trying to talk and he was noisy. Some blood started to exit from his mouth. Hanamiya didn't liked noisy people, so he stabbed the man again, he really wasn't funny at all. The man took some time to die, his boss looking at him all the time.

And, after, Hanamiya ordered his men to take the corpse outside and clean the room, so that everyone could see and understand what it meant disappointing him. Later the corpse was thrown somewhere and buried. And the room in which the man was killed was cleaned until every trace of blood disappeared.

Hanamiya was grateful to his uncle, he left him a really amusing toy. It was really (un)fortunate that he had died so early. But he left him the group, the house, the money and power. He had taught his nephew how to do things there, how to do business, and took him under his wing. And Hanamiya learned fast. Actually, he learned too well, so he could do a better job than any of his uncle's man. He gained his uncle's trust and his men's loyalty (or was it more exact to say that they feared him enough?) pretty quickly.

They knew better than messing up with him. He made the group grow up and their business gained a lot.

His uncle wasn't really healthy for a long time, but lately his condition worsened, leaving his nephew to look after the group more and more, until he, finally, died. Well, Hanamiya had helped the process, but no one needed to know that.

No one really protested when the man told them that his nephew would be taking over the group, so now he was the new boss.

Besides now he could use all his knowledge and power to make his little old friends suffer again, especially a couple of them. And after that, killing them all in a very bloody way.

He started to laugh, this was so amusing. He really loved the color red after all.

More so, that red head was the most amusing of them all, with his dark red head, red flaming eyes, so angry, so alive, always so confident, so kind it hurt. He really wanted to see him on his knees, his eyes spent, begging him, becoming his every day more, completely broken, until he could only want to be taken by him. Oh how much he would love to have him at his mercy then, all for himself.

He was already half hard just thinking about it. Maybe later he would go to one of his clubs and fuck some girl, just to distract himself.

It had really been a pity that they were interrupted last time, it was starting to became enjoyable the view of that man so powerless, so desperate, under his men. He was already anticipating making him his. But Akashi had to ruin his game.

Well, there would be another occasion, he would make sure of it.

He looked at the window, the night was so beautiful, full of colored lights, corrupted people and a lot of toys to play with. He possessed a mafia group now, and some shops, he had really inherited a really good toy.

Hanamiya Makoto was already starting to think about his next move and a smile on his face was telling he had already a plan.

 

\--------------------------

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading :)   
> And another thanks to my beta :P


	12. The challenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to make a plan to counter Hanamiya, and that's exactly what Akashi and his friends are doing. They still have to find the man's hideout though.

**THE CHALLENGE**

 

Kagami was in his office with his boyfriend, now fiancé.

He was making a little pause for coffee and was reading his mails.

As always the secretary tried to have his attention and Aomine was still jealous, even knowing that Kagami had no interest in her.

Still the man asked Kagami for some books to study, it seemed he really wanted to try and learn how to be his personal assistant, so the red had let him. Who knew if Aomine would actually become useful.

He was sorting the mails, most of them were from some business partner, fewer from the bank. Then he noticed that one envelope was a little different from the others: it was not sent, instead it was a hand delivery. From who? And why on earth someone would take a mail by hand this days?

In all those years only one person sometimes made him find that sort of mail: his mother. Though when he started to live alone she was sending them normally. Though they stopped coming when he went back to America. Now, though, it wasn't necessary anymore, he gave his mother his personal telephone number and his father couldn't say anything anymore.

He looked at the letter. It was handwritten and that was not her calligraphy.

Instead of the address of the Company the mail was sent directly to Kagami Taiga, the CEO. He opened it. Inside there was a paper addressed to him and another letter for Akashi. He stood up.

“What is it, Taiga?”

He took his jacket. “We're going to the agency, Daiki. Now.” He didn't look at the other man while exiting the office. On the way to the headquarters Aomine wanted to know what was happening and his lover explained.

The letters had been sent by Hanamiya. They were a challenge for them. When the car arrived, they didn't lose time and went immediately to Akashi's office. Kagami stormed inside without even knocking, founding Kuroko sit on Akashi's lap, with his shirt completely open and watery eyes and his pants not where they should be...

“Oh shit!” The red head paled.

Aomine behind him was not so silent. “Tetsu, I didn't know you were so bold!”

“Daiki!” Kagami scolded his boyfriend. _Shit, this time Akashi will kill us._

Kuroko stood up and slowly started to dress himself, red on his face. They really walked in on them this time.

Akashi, visibly annoyed, spoke with a low and still rough voice from the activity before. “So, Taiga, Daiki, what's so important to interrupt my meal?” And everyone in the room knew what the meal was. Or more accurately who (though no one had the gut to say it aloud). Kagami was horrified to hear the man saying it like that, his face started to burn. Aomine beside him only snorted.

“Well?” Akashi was not patient at that moment, not at all. Kagami snapped out of his shock and put the letters on the desk.

“I just found those between my mails.” He explained.

Akashi opened the envelope and started to read. His face changed, from annoyed to really, really angry. And that was never a good sign.

“Akashi-kun?” Kuroko noticed the change, obviously, and started to worry.

Akashi's yellow eye was glowing dangerously. A really bad sign...

“He think he can play with us. He think he can win???”

He started to smile. And that was even worse. When Akashi was smiling like that usually meant danger for everyone.

“Tetsuya, call everyone. Now.” His tone didn't admit anything less than obeying his every order. “We'll have a meeting. I'll update you later.” Kuroko went to call the all team's members. Whatever they were doing they had to leave and come to the headquarters.

“You've done well.” Akashi said to the two men still in front of the desk. “You can go for now and wait for the others in the meeting room.”

Some hours later they were all there but Hayama, who was on duty with Kise and Kasamatsu and was excused by Akashi for that, so he would be updated later. There was also Murasakibara, who when saw Kagami, approached him immediately.

“Kaga-chin! Oh and Mine-chin too.”

“Yo.” Greeted Aomine.

“Murasakibara, how are you? I'm sorry for all of this.” Kagami was worried, he was still convinced that the purple giant should continue being a pastry chef.

“It's okay, Kaga-chin. I want to crush him, for Muro-chin.”

“Yeah.” The red head agreed. “But what about your shop?”

“It's still there. I'll go back when I have crushed him.”

Some minutes later, Akashi was updating the others about the mails and Hanamiya.

“So he's challenging us.” Was Midorima's comment.

“But how we will deal with him?” Takao asked. “I mean, he's a gangster boss and we don't even know yet of which group.”

“We know it.” Kuroko said. “It's an old one actually. The old boss died some time ago and we found out he was one of Hanamiya uncles of second grade or something like that. Thanks to Izuki-senpai we found about a lot of personal things about him.” They discovered that the group which Hanamiya was part of was what remained of an ancient one. It originally started as a part of the “Mano Nera”, and later becoming independent. One of the latest bosses was Peter Milano. Some of the Asian man that previously were in that group, now where part of this group that was started to re-rise recently, thanks to their new boss, Hanamiya's uncle, who came in America when he was still a kid, and began immediately his career in the “family”. The group had close ties with the Triad and rumors said that they might be joining the group, and if that was true, they would become more powerful and dangerous. Since Hanamiya's uncle was partly American-Chinese, he had joined a Chinese group when he was 30. He had already experience and soon became a high ranked man. And when it was time, he grabbed his chance, so now he was the boss there. That was why Hanamiya was accepted easily, even though he was fully Japanese. Moreover he was clever and understood soon enough what was needed there and he had already killed people as we all know, so there was no doubt he was able to do everything necessary to enter his uncle's grace and go up in the group's ranks. But he was too clever to work under someone for long, and he sure had a plan. And when the boss died he became the new boss. 

“It is also possible that Hanamiya had killed him in some way. We have no evidence but it's likely.” the man said.

“So, for the time being, we'll search their hideouts, their headquarter, their activities, everything.” Akashi said. “But don't be mistaken, he will attack soon. So be careful and never go out alone.” He dismissed them reminding again to never be alone.

Some time later they were informed that some men of that mafia group had been killed, but it didn't seem other group's doing, so they may had been punished by the leaders for some incapability or they could have been in contrast for something.

They were all killed with knives or guns, stabbed in the most painful places and they all died slowly.

“I have a bad feeling about this.” Kagami said to Aomine reading the reports.

“Why, it has nothing to do with us.”

“It seems too similar to Tatsuya's death.”

“That was Hanamiya, Taiga. Those men were working for him, but they could have been killed by anyone else.” But that didn't ease him, he still was sure there was some connection.

In the month that was proceeding they were informed of some other strange deaths too. They were all red head's men and women.

“And why we're interested in that? They were not our cases.” Aomine said what everyone, but Kagami, was thinking. The uneasiness Kagami had before only grew up.

“They were all red head? And what else? How they died, Kuroko?” The former Seirin ace asked.

“Taiga,” Akashi was looking at him with his heterochromatic eyes, (his yellow eye resurfaced every time he was really nervous or angry and that was never a good sign, and this time wasn't an exception) still intimidating “You have some suspect, am I right?”

“Well... yeah... I really have a bad feeling about it. It keeps nagging at me. No proofs whatsoever.”

“Kagami-kun still has his tiger's instinct.” Kuroko nodded.

“Wait!” Aomine started to protest. “I also have it! That animal instinct whatever. What does that even mean?” He stood up.

“It’s not only that. Kagami-kun was in contact with Hanamiya more than you, Aomine-kun, he could smell him. Right, Kagami-kun?” The man was still remembering when he and Kagami met. The red head could smell people's strength, and he could sense how dangerous they were.

“Yeah...”

“Oi! Taiga, you're mi...” The tanned man sentence was cut off by an angry Kagami's expression. As if he was silently telling him 'Don't you dare say that'.  
“Don't even think to start! That's different.”

“How?”

“That's enough, Daiki!” Akashi was looking at the tanned man, his gaze was saying “Don't start to say stupid things now and stay quiet or I will kill you both personally.” The tanned man didn't say anything else and sat again beside his fiancé.

“Tetsuya, continue your report about those deaths.”

Kuroko resumed his explanation.

The victims were all around their age, red hair, both sex, they all had sex before dying, and yes it was a consensual sex in most of the cases. Or so it seemed. But in some others cases the victims were drugged. The drug was not the same for all of them. Some of them were tied up and some not. Some of them had been strangled. At first the police thought about some erotic games went the wrong way, but it was not. All the victims had different jobs, lived in different environments, but the police thought that their cases were related in some ways, since their age and hair were similar. So the police was now thinking it could be a case of serial murders. But what Kuroko said after, made Kagami more sure of his suspects.

“All the victims died really slowly. And all of them were found in strange places, as if the assassin wanted them to be found. And they all were stabbed and cut by knives.”

“Taiga, are you all right?” Aomine's worried voice interrupted Kuroko's speech. 

Kagami was pale and he was looking at Kuroko like he had seen a ghost. Well in the man's case could be true, but that was not the point. Kagami was sure now.

“Taiga, I can say your suspects were right.” Akashi said.

“What do you mean, Akashi?” Mibuchi tried to ask, but it was Kagami who answered.

“Hanamiya. That’s his challenge.” Kagami was talking with a deadly sure tone.

“What?” Several voices asked.

“Are you sure?” Izuki asked.

“I am. I don't know how, but I know it's him.”

Akashi then explained. “I agree with Taiga.”

The man was confirming Kagami's suspicions and that was not something the red head wanted to hear. He wanted to hear that he was mistaken, that he was wrong, but Akashi was confirming everything.

“I also believe that this is his challenge to us. He sent Taiga a letter some time ago. This is his move.”

“Are you saying he is killing those people to tell us something?” Aomine was dumbfounded, and also the other in the room.

“That's right.”

“Why? What?”

“He sent that letter months ago. So why now?”  
“It's Hanamiya we're talking about. He's not sane.” Izuki said.

Akashi then said something shocking. “This one message was specifically for Taiga I believe.”

“What?” Aomine asked.

Now it was Kagami's turn to explain. “Do you remember how Tatsuya was killed?”

“I do.” Murasakibara spoke for the first time. His voice was sad. Kagami knew that talking about his lover's death was still making the giant suffer, but this time it couldn't be avoided.

“Yeah. But I don't think everyone knows the details.” He said. “He was drugged with a drug that immobilize you, but keep your conscience intact. So basically you can feel everything, pain and all, but you can't move nor shout or speak. He was hit, cut and raped. And then he was stabbed several times, every time in a really painful place and he had been left to die slowly from blood loss.”

“So all those people were killed in a similar way to make Kagami remember it?” Mibuchi asked. “That's messed up!”

“And make him suffer. He likes to see people suffer. He's an hedonist, a sadistic, an exhibitionist.” Akashi answered. 

“But they were all red head, they were not like Muro-chin.” Murasakibara pointed out.

“That is because the message was for Taiga. And me. When he took Taiga in that building he drugged and tied him up. He wanted me to know that this is a challenge, that is why he's making it obvious it's him. He wants me to think I can't stop him. And for Taiga, to remember his brother's death and that it's not over yet. He's telling him that he is still up to do something to Taiga, that he has plans for him. He wants him to be afraid.” 

“It seem he's in his last stage.” Izuki said. The man had worked in the FBI for a while, and he was for a bit in a team that made profiling, so he had a bit of experience in that, even if that was not his main duty. 

“He's rushing things, he's not as methodical as before, he's even abandoning this modus operandi.”

Now Mibuchi was on alert too. “Wait, so if we don't stop him he will continue to kill innocent people? And try again something against Kagami?”

“He will. And faster, if what Izuki say is true. Even if in this moment he is waiting for my move.”

“Yes, he'll kill again, and more brutally. He's in a stage where he is depressed, he can't feel the adrenaline of killing. And he needs it. He's in his own fantasy right now. But soon he'll need to act and do it with more violence.” Izuki confirmed.

“So what now?” Midorima asked.

“We'll make our move, obviously.” Akashi looked at them all, as if saying to be ready.

The following weeks some of Hanamiya's group members were arrested, some died during the raids, some of Hanamiya's men's proprieties had been confiscated.

They made sure no one saw them, they all used something to cover their faces and Akashi planned the strategies. But the message was clear.

They found about some men's activities in the upper ranks of the group, apparently clear, but affiliated to Hanamiya's group, and Akashi and Kagami, being able to work in business, ruined them financially. All of that in a couple weeks.

So now all they could do was waiting. They still didn't know where Hanamiya was and where and when he would strike.

 

\---------------------

 

 

 


	13. The challenge part 2 (Aomine 's view about this)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is about Aomine's reactions to this: how he thinks and how he react, his worries and his decisions.

**THE CHALLENGE PART " (AOMINE'S POINT OF VIEW)**

 

That day Aomine was, once again, with Kagami in his boyfriend's office. From that time when the red head was kidnapped and nearly raped, he didn't want to leave the man alone. It was not because Akashi ordered it, but more like because he was too worried. Even if he would never admit it to the other man. That time, seeing Kagami there, tied up and injured and almost... it terrified him. What if they were late? What if those man could... he couldn't even think about the possibility. He did never ever wanted to see him that way again. He would do anything to protect Kagami, he couldn't lose him.

And there was also that annoying secretary. She was still flirting with his Taiga. And even though he knew that the man would ignore all the flirting he was still jealous.

That was why he had started to study some of the books Taiga suggested him, but he knew he would have to ask Akashi to tutoring him, those books were too boring and technical, and he couldn't understand them.

They were taking a pause, Aomine from one of those books, and Taiga was working too hard lately, two jobs were not easy to maintain efficiently. And he still couldn't help his partner at all.

He was sipping his coffee while Kagami was sorting the mail when he suddenly stood up, his face pale.

“What is it, Taiga?”

The red head took his jacket. “We're going to the agency, Daiki. Now.” The man said in a really frightened voice. So Aomine followed him, first in silence, but on the way he wanted to know what was happening and forced Kagami to explain.

When they arrived in front of Akashi's office Kagami stormed inside without even knocking, bad, bad thing to do. Aomine didn't have the time to warn him to not upset their boss barging in unannounced. And what they found was something he didn't need to see... Kuroko was sitting on Akashi's lap, with his shirt completely open and watered eyes full of lust, his pants were open and Akashi's hand was in those pants. It was really obvious in which activity the two were engaged before he and Kagami barged in the office.

“Oh shit!” The red head paled yet again.

Aomine behind him recovered faster. “Tetsu, I didn't know you were so bold!”

“Daiki!” Kagami scolded him.

Kuroko stood up and slowly started to dress himself, with a tinge of red on his cheeks. That was when Kagami noticed the man pants were open. Aomine had noticed it before his boyfriend, and though they also were doing that kind of stuff the man had his cheeks red like little tomatoes. He was still so naive sometimes, he was easily embarrassed.

Akashi spoke with a really annoyed voice. “So, Taiga, Daiki, what's so important to interrupt my meal?” And everyone in the room knew what the meal was. And now Kagami's face and ears were as red as his hair. _My little tiger never change._ Aomine thought, amused.

“Well?” Akashi was not patient at that moment. Kagami snapped out of his shock and put the letters on the desk.

“I just found that between my mail.” He explained.

Akashi opened the envelope and started to read. His face changed, from annoyed to really, really angry.

“Akashi-kun?” Kuroko noticed the change, obviously, he was always a good observer.

“He think he can play with us. He think he can win???”

He started to smile. And when Akashi was smiling like that usually meant danger for everyone, Aomine just wanted to be out of the office, right that moment.

“Tetsuya, call everyone. We'll have a meeting. I'll update you later.” Kuroko went to call the squad.

So they went to the tactic room to wait for the others.

“Kaga-chin! Oh and Mine-chin too.” Murasakibara and Kagami started to talk.

“Yo.” greeted Aomine. He knew that the childish man was still attached to Kagami from back then. He was the one that helped him the most when his boyfriend died.

Aomine had never saw the giant so desperate before, and even now it was clear that he was still suffering. Fuck, Aomine couldn't even think how he would react should he lose his tiger, he could sympathize with Murasakibara.

They chatted a bit before the meeting started. Murasakibara said that the pastry shop had been taken care of, so he could think about this and not worry about the shop.

Akashi then, updated everyone about the situation, but it was when Akashi and Kuroko started to talk about some deaths that he really started to pay attention.

“And why we're interested in that? They were not our cases.” Aomine said. He recalled what Kagami had told him some time ago about that deaths, and he dismissed the thing, thinking that his lover was overreacting about it.

“They were all red head? And what else? How they died, Kuroko?” The former Seirin ace asked.

“Taiga,” Akashi was looking at him with his heterochromatic eyes, still intimidating, “You have some suspect.”

“Well... yeah... I really have a bad feeling about it. But I have only this sensation that can't leave me alone.”

“Kagami-kun still has his tiger's instinct.” Kuroko nodded.

“Wait!” Aomine started to protest. “I also have it! That animal instinct whatever. What does that even mean?” He had that instinct even before Taiga, so why he didn't feel anything?

“That is not only that. Kagami-kun was in contact with Hanamiya more than you, Aomine-kun, he could smell him. Right, Kagami-kun?”

“Yeah...”

“Oi! Taiga, you're mi...” The tanned man sentence was cut off by Kagami's angry face. He was silently scolding him, even before he would say something. But the red head was his, how could he think about someone else? And that man to boot. No way in hell he would permit it.  
“Don't even think to start! That's different.”

“How?”

“That's enough, Daiki!” Akashi was looking at the tanned man, his gaze was saying, “Don't start to say stupid things now and stay quiet or I will kill you both personally.” And he knew the man well enough to not mess with him too much, so he had to sat up again and stay silent. Was Kagami's instinct sharper than his? Or was it really because he had been in contact with that bastard more than him?

“Tetsuya, continue your report about those deaths.”

Kuroko started to talk again about those cases.

“All the victims died really slowly. And all of them were found in strange places, as the assassin wanted them to be found. And they all were stabbed and cut in various ways by knives.”

“Taiga, are you all right?” Aomine's worried voice interrupted Kuroko's speech. Kagami was pale and his rage was emanating from his whole body. And Aomine rarely saw the man in that mood.

“Taiga, I can say your suspects were right.” Akashi said.

“What are you meaning, Akashi?” Mibuchi tried to ask, but it was Kagami who answered.

“Hanamiya. He's challenging us.”

_Shit._ Aomine thought, T _hat man again. When we'll be free?_

“What?” several voices asked.

“Are you sure?” Izuki asked.

“I am. I don't know how, but I know it's him.”

Akashi started to talk. “I agree with Taiga.” The man was confirming Kagami's suspicions

“I believe that it’s his challenge to us.”

Aomine at that point recalled something else. One day he told Kuroko about Kagami's suspects without really thinking about what that revelation was implying. Kuroko, however, frowned, in his own way, and said that it could be an important clue, related to some other research he was doing and he would look into it. _So that was his research? Those deaths?_

“Are you saying he is killing those people to tell us something?” Aomine was dumbfounded, and also the other in the room.

“This one message was specifically for Taiga I believe.”

“What?” Aomine asked.

“Do you remember how Tatsuya was killed?”

“I do.” Murasakibara spoke for the first time. His voice was sad. Obviously. Talking about the death (or more like the murder) of your lover would be difficult for everyone.

“Yeah. But I don't think everyone knows the details.” Kagami explained to the others exactly how his brother was killed and Aomine could see how difficult was for the red head to talk about it, even now. He took his man's hand in his, trying to be of some comfort. And some seconds after the other tightened the grip, as if saying, 'I know you're here for me'.

Aomine had already stopped to listen to what they were saying, he was just there for his lover at the moment. He knew how much he suffered for his brother's death, how he was still hurt, and how much he tired himself that time, trying to help everyone, Kuroko, him, also Murasakibara. He exhausted himself too much. And that fucking bastard Hanamiya not only was back, but he abducted Kagami, he hurt him again and now he was reminding him about that sad period of their lives just for the pleasure to hurt him again. _I will fucking kill you, Hanamiya._

 

\----------------------

 

 

 


	14. Omake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is when you forget you've had some mixer before dating...

OMAKE

One day Kagami was relaxing himself at home, finally able to be with his fiancé during a rare day off duty. They still had had no time to ask Akashi to marry them. They figured that the man would offer anyway and they would not be able to refuse, therefore they opted to ask him directly.

He was watching something on the TV, while Aomine was taking a shower.

His phone buzzed. “No, no, tell me it's not work again!” He was praying. Lately he had only worked, be it at the Company or the team, he had almost no time to eat or do anything else, so that day he wanted his day off no matter what. They had planned to go to the near court to play ball later and he just wanted to relax for the day.

He looked at the caller ID.  _Uh?_

“Hello.”

“Uhm, Hi, I... I'm Matsuoka, Rin. Do you remember me?”

Kagami was thinking. A lot of things happened lately, so he was not really sure who that Matsuoka was.

“I... mmm... I'm here for another swimming race. And...”

“Oh yeah, I remember now.”

“Good. Well, I was thinking if we could meet.”

“Well, I...”

“Oi, Taiga, who's on the phone? Don't tell me it's Akashi again. Or someone from the Company?” Aomine had just entered the living room after his shower, his hair still dump, a towel in his hand.

“No, it's not him.”

“Tetsu?”

On the other side of the phone the man was listening voices, but he didn't understand what they were saying. “Kagami-san?” He called. “If you have guests, I can call another time, I only wanted to see a friendly face after all.”

“I, wait, can I, uhm... maybe we can meet with some... uh... friends?”

“Uh... yes, sure. I'll be in town for a week, let me know.”

They said good bye after Kagami promised to call him.

“Who was on the phone?” Now Aomine was looking at the red head with a angry face.

“Uh, only a person I met … uh... some time ago.”

“A lover?”

“Ah? NO!” He denied immediately.

“Then who was it?” The tanned man put his hands on both sides of his lover, with a menacing glance. He was only with his pants on, chest still bare.

“When did you met him?”

“It was... when...” Kagami was looking at his right, trying to not look at his boyfriend's so alluring body. There was an interesting piece of something there on the floor...

“When?”

Kagami sighed. “I was trying to give up on you, again. Mibuchi organized some meeting to help me...”

“And you met him?”

“That's... he was...”

“Did you two fucked?”

“NO!” Again he denied too fast, damn he knew he made a mistake, and Aomine's scent was making him hard and he couldn't think clearly. Damn him, Aomine knew he couldn't resist him. “I... we talked a bit, that's all. I couldn't... give up on you.”

“But you still gave him your number.”

“It was common sense! He was here only for a race, and he's a policeman too...” He couldn't stand anymore questions. “Daiki, can we stop this now?”

“Why, you were planning...”

“I wasn't planning anything and we got together! I never thought he would call. He went back to Japan or Australia. He said he was there a lot too.”

“So why he called now?”

“He's here for a week. He doesn't know many people here.”

“Do you want to see him?”

“I was thinking... of meeting him with you.”

“Don't tell me you want a threeso...”

“Idiot! Pervert!” Seeing Kagami's face, red and embarrassed, Aomine started to laugh. He was standing in front of him laughing. _Damn him he was making fun of me!_

“What's so funny?”

“You. I knew you never thought about that option, you're still so innocent.”

“Fuck you, Ahomine!”

“Well, I was planning to fuck you instead. You need a punishment.”

“What? Why?”

“You tried to cheat on me before even starting to go out with me.”

Kagami's eyes went wide. “Are you stupid? That makes no sense at all.”

“Well, I need an excuse.”

“Then find one that actually works!” A second after, he was pulled out of the couch and dragged to their bedroom, his fiancé with his handcuffs on his hand, ready to use them on him.

“Shit, Daiki, at least use the stuffed ones...” He said, but he was already aroused thinking of what his boyfriend would do to him, and he knew he wouldn't be able to say no to the man. They had started doing that thing with the handcuffs after Hanamiya's incident. Like some sort of therapy for Kagami to get over his trauma. And then they continued.

“Don't worry they will not leave scars.” The red head was dragged in the bedroom by his boyfriend with a wicked smile that made him shiver in anticipation.

In the end they saw the man together some days after, and Aomine was so eager to tell him they were going out that the other couldn't not notice the tanned man's jealousy.

“It seems he really loves you. I'm a little jealous myself, Haru is never so transparent.”

“Haru?”

“Yeah, my lover.”

Aomine smiled widely and received a hit on the gut (under the table) by his lover.

 

\-------------------

 

 

 


	15. bishop vs horse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chess match starts. Who would be the winner? Akashi or Hanamiya? The real battle is already started and our boys are working hard.

 

**BISHOP VS HORSE**

 

“So this is your answer, Kagami, Akashi.” Hanamiya was sitting comfortably in his chair, the office was a large room fitted with old things, mostly collected by the previous boss, his uncle. He didn’t have an inch of taste. One of these days he would like to redo all the interiors, more of his liking. But now he had more interesting things to do. “Well, how can I answer now?”

He called one of his men.

“Find everything about these men.” He said, giving the names he wrote on a paper. “I don't care how, bribe someone, force the government computers if you have to. I want those information.”

He was disappointed though, his men couldn't get any, and couldn't bribe anyone that was in the high spheres. It seemed someone there had made a lot of changes, and they were not corruptible people. He had tried to put some of his men there, but no one could make it, as if they knew about this.

He really needed to find a good hacker or something or actually learn himself then. What a waste of time...

 

\-----

In the following weeks there were new strange murders again. All basketball players, boys, men, street players or in little leagues, they all were murdered and they had some of their fingers cut before the death. Their hair color were red or blond. And their features were all similar to Kagami and Kise.

That put the task force on alert.

“It's him again, right?” Izuki asked just to be sure.

“It's him.”

“Taiga have you any recollection about the fingers?” Akashi wanted to know every possible details. So Kagami explained about Hanamiya's failed attempt to Hyuuga.

“So he's doing all this to make us remember?” Hayama asked. “Why? For what reason he wants us to remember?”  
“No. His next move will be on one of us.”

“You mean Kagami again?”

“Him or either Ryouta. So we have to strengthen our security around him too.”

“Why him?”

“He's blond and he played basketball. And he's the only one of us not in the task force and still be approachable.”  
“So with these murders he's telling us who he will try to kill? Why?”

“He's sure of himself, and he thinks he can move his bishop freely. So, maybe, I will use my horse.”

Their chess match was going on, but they were playing with real people, real victims were losing their lives.

“Tetsuya, did you find something about their headquarter?”

“Nothing yet, we have only some places and clubs they manage.”

“Well, we'll have to make do with what we have for now.”

And so they replied with a raid again, they hit some important drug dealing points and traffic, and some business men involved with the group were utterly ruined, some of them even committed suicide. Others were found dead days after, surely because they had disappointed Hanamiya and were punished. They started to destroy all their traffics, their clubs shut down, their people started to be afraid. And the group was losing ground. The Triad, sure, wasn't happy about that, they would complain to Hanamiya's group. Though, no one of the men they caught alive talked, they even killed themselves to avoid giving information.

One day Kise finished his shots early and Hayama was with him. Mibuchi was with Kasamatsu, so Hayama decided to call them to meet earlier. But Mibuchi didn't pick up. And that was strange.

“Something's happened, Hayama-san?” Kise didn't know why the man seemed so worried.

“Kise-san, did you call Kasamatsu-san?”

“Not yet. Why?”

“Shit, come with me!”

Meanwhile he called Kuroko, he was their referee, and asked for reinforcements.

They were not far from where the other two should have been. They found Mibuchi in an alley, barely alive. He was shot. Kise was scared, that was normal for someone not used to this kind of things. They called the ambulance and they put the man on a stretcher and taken to Midorima's hospital as fast as possible.

Kise was starting to cry. “Yukiocchi, where is he??”

“Calm down, Kise-kun.” The two men jumped like they were hit by a thunderstorm.

“Kurokoo!!!”  
“Kurokocchii!!”

“What are you doing here, Kurokocchi? Weren't you living in Japan?”

“We'll talk about it later.” He said and then talked through his radio. “Izuki-san we secured Kise. Tell Midorima we'll need him lately for another case. Yes we'll be waiting here for you.”

“Midorimacchi??? Izuki??? What's happening Kurokocchi? And where's Yukiocchi? We have to find him!!” Kise was panicking, worried something bad would happen to his husband.

“Kagami-kun and Aomine-kun are already searching for him, and also Murasakibara-kun. We'll find him. Now Kise-kun follow us, please. We don't have time.” They lead the blond to a safer place, where the rest of the task was waiting.

They received a message from the giant some time after, saying he had found Kasamatsu, but to come quickly.

He was in their house, unconscious, and the purple giant had already dealt with some men, but Hanamiya wasn't there.

“It's strange, he usually is near and wants to deal with things personally. Something is fishy.” Kagami pointed out everyone's feeling.

Kuroko called through his radio.

“Sei-kun where are you?”

“I'm near. You need something?” The shadow released the breath he was holding.

“Are you alone?”

“I'm with Shun.” Izuki and Akashi where in the car, they had to take care of something before meeting the rest of the team.  
“There's something fishy. Also Kagami-kun sensed it.”

“A trap. Everyone get out of there immediately.”

They all went out of the building, helping with Kasamatsu, who was still unconscious. Akashi and Izuki where there in no time.

“We'll need to take him to Midorima-kun for a checkup.” The light blue haired man said when they reached the meeting point, just before the building they were in barely two minutes earlier exploded.

“Damn bastard.” Aomine wanted so badly to kill Hanamiya right then.

“We're going to the hospital now. Everyone.” Akashi said.

When Kise arrived, escorted by Hayama, he was still anxious and worried. “Ryouta, I think you'll need an explanation later.”

But the blond was only thinking about his husband at the moment. “Is Yukyocchi fine? Why our house exploded? Is Hanamiya's doing??”

“Calm down Kise-kun. We're going to a secure place now. And Kasamatsu-san is in good hands, you'll see him later. Mirodima-kun is taking good care of him.”

“That's right. What is Kurokocchi doing here? I thought he was a kindergarten teacher. And you and Murasakibaracchi!!”

Then Kuroko looked at the blond. “I was. But I couldn't stay still. I'm part of Akashi's agency.”

“What? What agency?”

“Later, Ryouta.” The blond was silenced by his former captain.

They took the team's car, and during the trip to the hospital the radio went off and one of their men said something to Akashi, something he didn't like, so now Kuroko asked his lover about it.

Akashi sighed. “Our agency's building exploded some minutes ago.”

They all turned towards their boss.

“That fucking bastard, I will kill him!” This time Aomine actually said it out loud.

“Calm down, Daiki.” Kagami was trying to calm his lover, but he himself wanted to kill the damned man too. In the building there were a lot of people, how many had died this time?? They knew a lot of them, they were good people, with families...

“At least we still have all our work safe and the people who died are few.”

“Aka-chin, you knew it?”

“I suspected something, so I made them search for bombs and evacuate the building a while ago. Izuki helped with things there, that is why we were late to meeting you. And I made Tetsuya do copies of everything these last weeks.”

Hearing Akashi's words Kagami relaxed a bit, he was still good at seeing the future and, for once, Kagami was grateful for that. Still people died, and he didn't like it one bit.

“Akashicchi... “ Kise couldn’t bring himself to ask anything.

“So he thinks he won something from all this, but we still can do our work. And thanks to Akashi we could save a lot of people this time.” Izuki's words sorted a calming effect on the others. “But we still have lost some.”

“How many?”  
“About 10. They were monitoring the situation and helping with the evacuation.”

“Fuck.”

“I'll organize their funeral and we'll need to talk to their families.” Akashi was good in organize things, but not to talk to people about this kind of things, so they would be doing that. And it was never easy.

They arrived to the hospital and waited until Takao came to talk to them and let Kise see Kasamatsu for some minute and Midorima exited the room and updated them about Kasamatsu's conditions. The man would be fine but he was almost strangled so he had to be careful with his throat for a while. They learned that the man had found someone had slipped something strange in Kise's water, so he had taken that away. But those men had found him there and acted on him, beating him up, but he could hear that the water was poisoned with something.

Akashi sent his men to retrieve some evidence, while the team took Kise almost by force, to take him in a safe place.

Some hours later they found what happened. The water for Kise was instead some acid. It was colorless, odorless and had no taste, but it could burn everything it touched and kill Kise in few minutes.

They were just lucky that Kasamatsu had found about it in time.

They couldn't avoid to talk with the blond now, he was too involved already.

They took him in a safe house, where he and his husband would stay for a while, so it was safe to talk to him there.

They sat with him, it was time to explain things.

“Ryouta, what we'll tell you now is something of national security. Everything is highly classified information. Only few in the whole Country are allowed to know. And knowing this, may force you two to join us one day.” Akashi started to explain to the actor who they were and what they were doing, he also explained Kagami's situation, without entering in details though, saying that if he wanted to know more he would have to ask Kagami.

Then he took Kuroko, Izuki and Murasakibara with him and went to do some things only their leader could do, leaving Kise to the two former aces.

“I...” The blond started to speak, sadness in his voice. “I feel like I was excluded.”

“Kise, that's not like it.” Aomine was not good in this and he internally cursed for that.

“We just wanted you to be happy and live your life.” Kagami added, knowing that Aomine was fond of the blond, even if he wouldn't admit it, and he didn't knew what to say to make him understand.

“But... I continued my life, I continued like nothing happened, but I knew something was never like before. I was just trying to forget and I continued modeling and... I didn't think... even Kurokocchi...”  
“Kise, we are all proud of you.” Kagami started to talk with the blond and Aomine mentally thanked him for being there, and for helping Kise now. He knew his lover could do it, so he left the talking to him nodding at his lover, opting for going to ask if the other's needed some help. So he stood up and made some call.

Kise was sat on the bed, still hurt and worried. Kagami was sat on a chair, and tried to let him understand.

“We all wanted you to be happy. And we are happy that you could go on. It was us that couldn't do it. I lost my brother. I couldn't think of going to UCLA anymore and becoming a pro like nothing had happened, I couldn't let things go. And the same thing was for the others. We couldn't imagine doing what we wanted before all of that happened. I also had thought that Kuroko was doing good, but instead he entered the task force a while ago, he couldn't live a normal life anymore. But you could do it. You could do what you wanted. That's why we're proud of you, who were able to achieve success and become a great actor. You could do what we couldn't, you let go the past. And we're happy for you and Kasamatsu too.”

“But Kagamicchi... I'm the only one...”

“You're not. Midorima is doing what he wanted, ya know?”

“But...”  
“Hey, did you know that Aomine asked me to marry him?”

“Uh, really??”

“Yeah, but he haven't had time yet to ask Akashi to marry us. Or think about the ceremony and all of that.” Aomine answered, a little embarrassed, coming back in the room.

“So”, Kagami continued, “As you can see, in some ways we're happy too. You were not left alone. Every one of us was watching you and your career. And our job is too dangerous, we need to not be noticed. So Kise, you wouldn't be able to fit to it unless you quit your actual job. And we don't want to force you in something so dangerous. So please, live your life happily for us too. And you can still help with the wedding. Will you help us organizing it?”

“I'll be happy to Kagamicchi!!!”

Some time later Takao called to let them know that they would made Kasamatsu stay in the hospital for some days just to be sure everything was okay, but to not worry, he would be just fine.

“You look so professional, Takaocchi.”

“That's because I am. Even if Shin-chan rarely admit it.”

That night Kise stayed in the safe house with the two men guarding him, but he couldn't sleep much.

He was thinking about his husband, and about what Akashi had said. Even though Kagami had told him that they were all proud of him, he was still feeling left behind, the only one that could pursuit his dreams. Could he really continue like that? Or should he join his old friends? Would he really be able to help them if he trained? Would Kasamatsu agree? Maybe not, seeing the job was dangerous the man would be worried all the time if Kise actually decided to become an agent. And he couldn't ask his husband to join them too. But could he really continue with his life like before?

These and more where his thoughts that night, and also, what would the future reserve to all of them?

 

\----------------------------

 

 

 

 

 

 


	16. A little distraction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Today they can relax a bit and have a little party, so why not enjoy it?

**A LITTLE DISTRCTION**

Things were going slowly. Akashi had found a good place for their new headquarters.

Kise and Kasamatsu still had Hayama and Mibuchi following them everywhere they went and they still stayed at the safe house. The older man was recovering, but he was very worried about the situation. And he was, once again, traumatized and scared. He couldn't sleep well, and didn't like to be left alone.

The filming was now finished and in some days the party would be held, and Kasamatsu was fearing something could happen there too.

Kise had invited all the team to the event. It was more logic for him to not go since he may still be in danger, but if he refused to go the whole movie and troupe would be affected by his absence, so he had to be there.

That was the reason Akashi let the team go to the party, he had ordered them to keep the two safe and he would go too, because he had some acquaintance there and maybe he could obtain some information as well. Kagami too had to go, as the CEO of his Company he was invited and he had to keep appearances and do some PR job. They would all wear communicators though, and their weapons under their jacket.

So the day of the party came and Kagami was wearing his suit.

“Daiki are you ready?”

“Shit, Taiga, that's why I hate neckties. I can't do it.”

Kagami smiled at his boyfriend. “Let me see.” Kagami helped Aomine with his tie. It happened the same to him too some time ago to not be able to tie his, but he had to learn fast in order to at least be presentable for work in the office. “Done.” He looked at his boyfriend and he was... gorgeous. Aomine in a suit was so handsome and sexy to take his breath away.

“What is it Taiga? Am I that handsome?” Obviously the bastard noticed his lingering gaze and understood right away.  
“Shut up!” Kagami turned and preceded the other man out of the room.

“Wait for me Taiga! Maybe we can...”

They arrived at the party late, as always his boyfriend wouldn't leave him alone, saying he was sexy in his dress pants too. “Like you never see me like this, dumbass.” He retorted. But the other said this time it was different and attacked his neck. They made out until Kagami found a hand under his shirt and that was when he stopped his tanned lover before it was too late to stop themselves and never go to the party (and making Kise sad, but more dangerously... making Akashi angry).

“You know Akashi doesn’t like when we're late.”

They parked the car and went to the entrance of the place where the party was held.

“Kagamicchi, Aominecchi, welcome!” Kise was already hugging them and his agent and husband was scolding him.

“Let them come in the room at least!”

Kagami saw Kuroko in a corner and Mibuchi on the other side of the room. So he assumed all of them were already there, in position, ready to intervene if needed. Still, this was a party so they were allowed to drink and all, so people wouldn't suspect anything.

During the evening some men approached him to talk and he couldn't avoid them.

“You're Kise's friend?”  
“Yeah, we know each other from high school and...” Kagami was indicating Aomine, “He knows him from middle school.”

“Awesome! One day I'd like to hear some story about him.”

“Sure.” Aomine was already bored. All those rich people with their boring and safe lives didn't knew anything about them or the real life out there.

The evening went on uneventful and Kagami had to talk with a lot of people and it was stressing. Some of them knew him as the CEO of the Company, some met him for the first time as Kise's friend. He had to talk with all of them about business and whatnot. Sometime he glanced at Akashi, who seemed being completely comfortable, he doubted he himself would be like that one day.

When, finally, they could go home Aomine and Kagami were dead tired. Still it was something different for once, they could even relax from their routine.

Mibuchi was in charge of Kise so he would deal things that night taking back Kise and his husband to the safe house.

Some days after Kuroko told them that maybe they knew Hanamiya's location and to be on alert and ready to raid.

And Aomine, one day, after training, went to see Akashi.

“Did you want something, Daiki?”

“Well, I need to talk to you.” He said that he wanted to help Kagami in his desk-job as well and asked Akashi to tutor him, since the books he was studying weren't enough. Akashi made it all difficult, asking him if he was sure and saying that he would need to study hard, something he pointed out to have already started to do (he didn't said he didn't understand those books, but Akashi didn't need him to voice it out). In the end the man had accepted to help him, saying he would be strict in his teaching.

“Oh another thing. Some time ago I asked Taiga to marry me” He added. “But we had no time to ask you to marry us yet. So...” He was embarrassed now. “When you have time, would you … do it?”

“Daiki, are you thinking about something fast and intimate? Don't you two want something more appropriate like a little party?”

“Well, we're not like Kise. We don't really need that. But Kagami had asked Kise to help since he was feeling left behind by all of us. I just hope he would do something simple.”

“I see. Anyway Taiga is the head of an important family and the CEO of his Company, so we can't have things half done. I'll help too so Ryouta would not go overboard.”

“Fine, fine, but nothing too fancy.”

“That, leave it to me. I'll talk to Ryouta about it.” Okay they were doomed. If Akashi and Kise would work on their wedding ceremony together it was sure they would go all the way. Why on earth did they asked their help??? Kagami would kill him once he'll tell him that Akashi was in charge of their wedding ceremony too...

 

\----------------------

 


	17. Checkmate and future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this time they wants to end things with Hanamiya once and for all. They really need thisclosure to be happy and think about a future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is it, we're atthe end of this story. I hope you'll like this last chapter and you enjoyed this story.  
> A special thank you to my beta, who put up with me untill now

**CHECKMATE AND FUTURE**

Akashi had organized everything. He contacted the higher ups and made them lend him their best SWAT squads.

He sent them in some of the most important clubs and trading places of Hanamiya's group. Every day a raid took place. Akashi planned to totally dismantle the group.

Now thought, it was the end of the game and their team was fully equipped, ready to enter the house. They wanted to do it themselves, so there was only their team there, and some squads were placed outside, some at the building's back door, just in case someone still alive would try to escape.

Here they would finally decide their lives, once and for all.

In that building there was the man that ruined their lives.

These were Kagami's thoughts while waiting for Akashi's signal, and he was sure he wasn't the only one to think that. This time also Akashi was there, even if he would stay outside for security and to organize the other squads.

Their team had Akashi's permission to kill, that meant they could do whatever they wanted in that building. They entered and Aomine knocked out the first man who saw them without making a sound.

They proceeded like this for some minutes before another man saw them and, again, he was silenced, this time by Murasakibara. The man was still agile, Kagami thought, looking at him. And he was trained for hand to hand combat. That made sense. And he was way too good at that, as if he had done that all his life. The Miracles where still amazing, even after all those years.

In the following minute the chaos started. Some men saw them and started to shot. Guns and knives where used against them, and they replied the fire with fire. In less than two minutes all the men inside the house knew about their presence. Still they proceeded to the room where they needed to be.

Izuki shot two men behind a corner, while covering them. Hayama was the first one to be shot, covering Mibuchi, who was shot at a shoulder some minute after.

Izuki too sported some scratches, but was still there. Until a bullet hit him, by the time they arrived at the second floor, in front of Hanamiya's office, where they knew he was, thanks to Kuroko's information and their undercover agents. Izuki was shot on the side, so the jacket couldn't protect him. Even if they had bulletproof equipment, some of the bullet the bastards were using were able to go through the jackets, (and those weren't covering their legs anyway) and when they couldn't they still hurt like a bitch. Therefore the injury was pretty bad and the man was unable to go on, so Kagami had put a hand on his shoulder and had told him to stay there and wait for the medics. Kuroko on the other hand of the radio confirmed that the medics were already on their way. Izuki protested at first, but then nodded, saying “Catch the bastard Kagami!” The red head nodded and left.

Aomine and Kagami, without even thinking about it, were using their usual old habit of leader and cover, Aomine on the front and the red head just after him. Neither of their group remained unscathed, so they were injured too, but the adrenaline in their veins was allowing the two men to not feel the pain, (well not too much to stop them anyway) both only thinking about killing Hanamiya once and for all.

The team opened the door. Inside there was Hanamiya with some men, already with their guns in hand.

“So some of you are still alive. I see.” His voice was mocking them.

“Hanamiya, you bastard, I'll kill you!” Aomine being the usual hot head launched himself towards the man.

“Daiki wait!” Hanamiya's men started to fire, Kagami tried to cover his lover, but the man was shot at a leg and fell on the floor, but Murasakibara managed to easily get rid of some of the underlings. Really how was he this good having trained in such short time?

But Kagami had no time to waste on thinking, he went to see how Aomine was doing. “It's not so deep. Taiga, kill the bastard so we can go home.”

Kagami talked to the radio, saying to Kuroko to send Midorima to help Aomine and stood up. Now there were only him and Murasakibara against Hanamiya.

“It's over, Hanamiya.” The man was smiling, now the only one still standing, his sidearm in hand. He seemed relaxed, standing in front of them like nothing had happened.

“Don't say it, Kagami. You know you will be mine in the end. I created you, I made you what you are now. You can't forget.”

_He's gone mad_... Kagami thought. Akashi some time ago said to them that Hanamiya was involving. And according to Izuki that was one of the last phases of serial killers. They would evolve and then enter in a circle of self-hurting, self-destroying. Most of them wanted to be killed in the end, but not all of them were that way.

He didn't knew though, that Aomine was starting to understand everything the man was thinking. Hanamiya had a strange obsession towards the red head, and now it was as clear as a day. Now, Aomine could finally see, he could make sense of all those strange killings, of all the things Hanamiya had done until then, even why back then he was sending those rhymes in English.

In Hanamiya's mind he was flirting with Kagami, he was trying to woo him, and his way of doing it was his killings. His continuing reminding the man how he could hurt him was like saying 'hey look at me', all the blood was like saying 'this red reminds me of you, let's be together’, it was like sending him a bouquet of roses, saying 'I want you all for me and me alone.' It was like giving him flowers, but instead he was killing people, offering them to Kagami.

He was hurting and killing everyone around Kagami, so he could keep him all by himself. That, in his distorted mind, was like having a crush on Kagami and telling him 'let's be together'. And wanting to control him, to break him until the other wanted him too because he had nothing else , it was really fucked up. Hanamiya was courting Kagami in his distorted way.

“I know you want me as bad as I want you.” Hanamiya moved fast and grabbed Kagami by his hair and put him against the wall, pointing a knife at his neck.

“Shit, Atsushi stop him!” Aomine shouted at the violet giant, who was securing the remaining man. He tried to stood up, his leg was pulsing and throbbing, and spilling blood and hurt like hell.

“Hanamiya, stop it.” Kagami said to the man in front of him.

“You know, that time, I really wanted to fuck you, to hurt you, to crush you and make you mine.”

“You're gone mad...”

The man tried to use the knife, but Kagami opposed resistance and they started to fight, the knife fell on the ground and the man was on Kagami. They both fell on the ground, Hanamiya put his hands on Kagami's neck, gripping tight and making the red head loose his breath. Kagami was trying to free himself, but Hanamiya's grip was too tight and he couldn't breathe.

A fire gun planted a bullet on Hanamiya's side. The man turned to look at Aomine with a gun in hand.

“You...”

“Don't fucking touch him!”

A second bullet planted himself on Hanamiya's heart. “You killed Muro-chin. I'll crush you!” Murasakibara in tears gave the man the last hit. Hanamiya fell on the ground, his eyes wide, his life gone.

Kagami coughed, now able to breathe again.

“It's... the end, it's really the end...” Kagami said, his voice just a murmur, coughing, but the two men heard him clearly.

“Yeah.”

“Kaga-chin, we've done it, right?”

“Yes, Atsushi, we've done it.” The giant was crying and Kagami could understand him too well. It was really the end this time.

They were alone for maybe two minutes, only their voices, their breaths in the silence, their hearts still aching. But they were free now.

Then Kuroko called through the radio.

“Kagami-kun, Aomine-kun, can you hear me?”

“Kuroko, we need Midorima.” Kagami answered, his voice hoarse.

“Kuro-chin, we've done it.” Murasakibara was still crying, helping Kagami to stand up.

Some time later Aomine was in the ambulance with Midorima complaining about his hothead and the fact that he was injured again, Kagami near the tanned man, also injured. Murasakibara was taken care of by Takao and Kuroko.

Hanamiya's corpse had also been taken care of by Akashi and some other men of the scientific unit. The other teams cleaned the remaining scene.

Their boss went to see them in the hospital some days later, his words “Good job.” were still in their ears after three days. Akashi gave all the team a week to recover from their injuries, even if Kagami had still to go to the Company's office and Aomine would be out of the hospital none before another week. (Akashi had provided him to some books to study while recovering).

They received a praise from the President and received a medal of honor, and their grades were raised. All of this was also secret, obviously, but none of them minded. They were finally free.

Kise and Kasamatsu were back to a new house and Kise was already working for a perfume spot.

A month after Akashi wanted a meeting, but this time he didn't talk about work. He announced something different.

“I want all of you be that day at that building by 10 o' clock. No lateness is allowed, Daiki I'm talking to you especially. It will be your wedding day, so you have to be on time for once.” All the people in the room turned to look at Aomine and Kagami, the red head was also shocked about what he had just heard.

“Daiki, what...”

“Well I asked him to marry us some time ago, when he would have the time. He said to leave it to him and Kise... I didn't knew they had already set everything though.”

Kagami sighed. _These rainbow people never change_.

“We sent all the wedding invitations a while ago.”

“You what???” Kagam was shocked. “Akashi we want just a little place and some friends...”

“Are you really expecting me to let you marry in a hovel with just two witnesses?”

“Well... _yes?_ We just wanted something simple...”

“It is as simple as possible for your status.” Akashi answered, and both the men cringed, while all their team were sniggering on their shoulders.

“I arranged for someone to come pick you two up, and I already ordered your dresses, I'll send them to you a day before the ceremony. And we already have the answers of whom will attend the ceremony and arranged for their stay. The party is also already arranged.”

“Akashi, we don't really need all of this.” Kagami tried to escape. They didn't want something so big and fancy.

“Taiga, I can't permit you two a less than a decent ceremony.” And that was it, they couldn't retort, just accepting Akashi's words and try to not fly in the most isolated and faraway place on earth as fast as they could.

A month passed and the two former basketball aces were in their dresses, waiting for their ride.

“Are you ready, Taiga?”

“Uhm, yeah.”

“Where are we going to our honeymoon anyway?”

“I think Akashi has arranged that too, Caribbean, Hawaii or something like that.” Kagami answered.

“I wanted to go to Japan. I... wanted to...” _at least talk to your parents..._

“I talked to my parents.” Aomine said. “I said them everything. They didn't talk to me ever since that day, so don't bother. Don't talk about it, not today. We'll discuss about this after our honeymoon if you want.” He didn't wanted his parents to ruin their special day, that was why he had not mentioned them to Kagami until the man itself raised the subject.

“I'm sorry.”

“Don't be. I'm happy. They'll understand one day. I hope. And if they don't... it's their loss.”

“Still... they're your parents.”

Aomine took Kagami's face between his hands. “We're happy, we'll be fine even without them. I only need you Taiga.”

Kagami's cheeks became red and hot. “That's too corny....”

Aomine's cheeks too became red. “Shut up!”

The doorbell rang, their ride was there. When they opened the door they were hugged by a cheerful blond.

“I'm so happy to be your best man-ssu, Kurokocchi is already there with the rings.” _They had asked Kise to be Kagami's best man and Kuroko Aomine's._

The building in which the ceremony and the party would be held were another Akashi's doing, a classy and luxurious place.

All their friends were there. Hyuuga, Kiyoshi and Riko, Koganei, Mitobe, Sakurai too. Akashi was really gone all the way to find them all. Also Alex came, with her husband, the former coach of Tohou. She was happy for them, Kagami sometimes had called her, but couldn't tell her about their job. He updated her about the cover one though, and she said she would never have thought he would really be a business man one day.

Kasamatsu was there with Kise, the poor man was trying to calm Sakurai and a whining Wakamatsu for who knew what.

And there was Kagami's mother too, he made her meet their friends and she seemed happy. She was currently talking with Akashi and they seemed getting along pretty well.

“Dai-chan, I'm so happy!” A really happy Satsuki Imayoshi was hugging Aomine and Kagami, her husband with a little kid in his arms was behind her.

When Akashi entered the hall the two men were pushed near him to start the ceremony.

After that the Aomines where greeted by everyone and they were led to the party hall.

But on the way Aomine noticed someone for the first time and froze. What were they doing here?

“Daiki?” Kagami's worried voice called his husband, before his eyes fo llowed his gaze and he, also, saw Aomine's parents.

The two advanced until they were near the two men.

The woman started to talk. “Kagami-san? I'm...”

“It's Aomine now.” Aomine retorted, his voice cold and distant.

“Yes, you're right, Daiki.” She said, her voice sad. “I wanted to congratulate with you two.”

“Thanks”. Kagami was really uncomfortable, but happy to hear the woman's words. And happy that they were there, that meant that in a way they accepted them, right?

“You two never talked to me from that day, what right do you have to be here now? And why, how are you even here anyway?”

“Daiki, please.” Kagami was trying to calm the tanned man. He didn't want a fight o n their wedding day.

“Akashi-san informed us and gave us the invitation and the flight tickets.”

“And?”

“Daiki, don't...”

“He talked to us, well he actually scolded us for the way we treated you two.”

His father talked for the first time now. “I still don't understand how you can… feel this way towards another man. But I see you're happy, and I have no longer the right to order you how to live your life.” That was the most apologizing words Aomine had ever heard from the man. That same man who called him a lot of things that day, who said that if he couldn't marry with a woman to never call them again, the man who said he was a freak.

He sighed. “Yeah, I am happy. I am happy because of him.” He took Kagami's hand in his, intertwining their fingers. “He was the only one for me from the day he beat me at the Winter Cup.” That made Kagami's face redden.

“You were that boy? I see. From that day he stopped skipping school and practice. And he became happier.” The woman seemed sweet in Kagami's opinion. “And when you two came at home telling us you entered the force... I should have known that day.”

“We were just friends back then.” Aomine said. But that didn't change the fact that he was already in love with Kagami, even if he himself didn't knew.

“We, uhm, we better go before someone call for us?” Kagami was still red and embarrassed by Aomine's words.

“You can call me mum.”

“Uh, yes. M-mum, should we go? You have to meet my mother too.” The four joined the others in the other room, where all the wines and food were waiting for them, Murasakibara had baked the cake and the desserts for them.

“Kaga-chin, Liu-chin said he liked my financiers.” The purple giant was so happy, Kagami was thinking that maybe, maybe Murasakibara had found someone again. He smiled at his husband and his friends.

“I'm happy he liked them, Mura!” he said, joining his friends.

 

\-----

Three years later Aomine entered the office after a long meeting with their new partners. The company had started a new sporting clothes brand and he was in charge of that.

Kagami raised his head from the documents he was reading.

“How it was?”

“They were stubborn. But in the end they accepted.”

“That's good.”

Who would have thought that Aomine could really become this good? He never became Kagami's secretary, but he instead started to work with him, and the Company started new businesses in new fields, like sportswear and food products.

Maybe one day they would retire from one fo their job, they all were elite members of a secret agency, and everything was more stressful, that that would wait.

“We still have to buy a present for Kuroko's and Akashi's son.” The two men had adopted a kid, Kuroko was happy, since he had always loved children, but how Akashi would be able to deal with the kid was still an unknown mystery.

Midorima and Takao were still working as doctors and Murasakibara went back to his pastry shop, using it for gathering information. He was dating Wei Liu and he seemed happy.

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading and thanks to my beta :)


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